Starting in July, Phu Quoc Island – a major tourist destination off the coast of southern Kien Giang Province – will observe ‘Environment Day’ on the first Saturday of every month as part of its initiative to keep the island green and clean.

On ‘Phu Quoc Environment Day,' local administrators hope to bring the island’s organizations, governmental departments, schools, and businesses together to clean its public spaces, particularly those areas currently inundated with waste.

Phu Quoc is administratively a district of Kien Giang Province.

Phu Quoc chairman Mai Van Huynh emphasized that everyone islander is responsible for keeping it clean and should be determined to make 'Phu Quoc Environment Day' a habitual part of life, not just an afterthought.

Moreover, Phu Quoc authorities have also requested that various branches of the local administration raise environmental protection standards by reducing single-use plastic, minimizing pollution, and beautifying the Island.

Officials have installed CCTV in public spaces plagued by littering as part of its efforts to catch and fine violators.

The chairs of the People’s Committees in each of the district’s communes will be directly responsible for the efficiency and operations of ‘Phu Quoc Environment Day’ within their jurisdictions.

Moreover, the district has requested that patrol stations on Phu Quoc inspect all domestic and industrial ships and ferries visiting the island to ensure they are equipped with proper waste management systems as per current regulations.

Businesses and companies will be required to spend each 'Environment Day' cleaning up their surroundings, and enact long-term solutions to environmental issues, such as replacing plastic bags and other single-use plastic products in their manufacture and operation.

Phu Quoc is considered the tourism paradise of the Mekong Delta, with millions of international and domestic tourists visiting the island each year for exploration and relaxation.

In 2018, Phu Quoc Island welcomed 2.2 million visitors, an increase of 30 percent from 2017. Among the visitors, 640,000 were foreign.

In the first six months of 2019, the island logged 2.3 million visits, among which over 390,000 were foreign, up 35.9 and 35.5 percent year-on-year, respectively

This number of visitors accounts for 52.7 percent of the district’s tourism goal.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!