Authorities in many tourist hubs in Vietnam have successfully adopted the non-smoking tourism model in recent years to draw more visitors and cushion them from the harm of passivesmoking.

The Vietnam News Agency reports that the non-smoking tourism model has been in place at such tourist hotspots as UNESCO-recognized Hoi An Ancient Town in Quang Nam Province in the central region, UNESCO-recognized Ha Long Bay in Quang Ninh Province in the north, and Nha Trang City in Khanh Hoa Province in the south-central part.

The places promise to grow into green ecotourism hubs which appeal to increasing numbers of tourists.

The news agency quoted representatives of Hoi An City, which houses the famed namesake old town, as saying that the model has helped boost the city’s appeal in tourists’ eyes after being launched three years ago.

The city authorities have since stepped up efforts to clear such places as hotels, restaurants, scenic attractions, hospitals, offices, and businesses of cigarette smoke by erecting no-smoking signs at all of its relics and tourist spots as well as a number of restaurants and hotels.

The city welcomes over 1.6 million international and local visits on average each year.

Other tourist hotspots – such as Ha Long, Nha Trang, Hanoi, and Ho Chi Minh City – have also adopted the model, according to the news agency.

Relevant agencies observe the greatest challenge in adopting the model is how to penalize domestic tourists for smoking in public places.

The Vietnam Steering Committee on Smoking and Health said that it will strive to expand the model to other tourist cities.

It cited New York and Turkey as examples of places which have seen surges in the number of tourists after applying the model, adding the adoption does not affect restaurants’ and hotels’ revenues.

Many inspections have been conducted across the country to speed up the implementation of a law on preventing the damaging effects of cigarettes, which took effect in May last year. The Ministry of Health and Vietnam Steering Committee on Smoking and Health will beef up efforts to raise locals’ awareness of smoking and its harmful influences to better enforce the law, the Vietnam News Agency said.

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