HÀ NỘI — Young Vietnamese people have demonstrated their devotion to sustainable tourism as the Viet Youth on Sustainable Tourism (VYST) project kicked off yesterday in Hà Nội.

The project, initiated by students from British University Vietnam (BUV) and the Việt Nam University of Social Sciences and Humanities (VNU-USSH), brings together young people who are extremely interested in learning about sustainability issues related to tourism and spreading the message of responsible travel to everyone.

“With the slogan ‘Dare to dream, dare to change’, we would like to show our strong belief in a much better tourism industry that is beneficial and ethical for all; and our determination to make positive changes to the smallest action of every single individual,” said Bảo Linh, founder of the project.

“The core missions of VYST are to raise people’s awareness of the importance of responsible travel and the global trend of sustainable development, and make real positive impacts on both the environment and host communities by enhancing people’s knowledge, behavior and actions in tourism-related activities.”

VYST is a one-year project whose target is to raise awareness about the importance of sustainable tourism, a global phenomenon which requires action from different stakeholders including governments, local authorities, and other tourism businesses.

“However, VYST specifically aims to spread the message about individual responsibility by becoming responsible travellers to contribute to the big sustainable tourism picture,” Linh said.

In the framework of the VYST project, there are four main events including the workshop ‘Young leaders towards Sustainable Tourism’, photo contest ‘Stories worth sharing’, an exhibition ‘Sustainable Tourism: The global yet individual phenomenon’, and a closing ceremony wrapping up the project’s achievements. — VNS