Advancing green growth in the tourism sector: The case of Hue, Vietnam

The document examines the 'Sustainable Urban Tourism through Low Carbon Initiatives' project in Hue, Vietnam. It identifies that the tourism sector emitted approximately 492,200 tons of CO2e in 2011, with travel being the largest source. The city promoted 'garden houses' as a viable mitigation strategy because they act as carbon sinks, reduce waste through composting, and lower freight emissions by producing local food. This approach also supports local employment, particularly for middle-aged women and non-motorised transport operators. While the initiative reduced in-situ emissions and strengthened the city's commitment to sustainable tourism, the document notes a trade-off: increased tourist attraction may lead to higher overall emissions from travel to the city, which exceeds local reductions.

• In 2011, the tourism sector in Hue produced approximately 492,200 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e), with travel accounting for 76% of these emissions.
• The promotion of traditional garden houses serves as a climate mitigation tool by providing carbon sinks, enabling household waste composting, and reducing freight emissions through the local production of fruits and vegetables.
• Integrating garden houses into tourism can reduce land-based transport emissions within the city by 4–9% (100–200 tons of CO2e per year) if visitors are encouraged to use bicycles or cyclos, even if total visitor numbers increase by 20 to 40%.
• Green growth through garden house tourism provides socioeconomic benefits, specifically creating income for the poor and providing better-paid employment opportunities for middle-aged women compared to male employees.
• A significant trade-off exists where local success in promoting green tourism may increase the total volume of tourists, resulting in higher overall greenhouse gas emissions from travel to the city that outweigh local in-situ reductions.
• The effectiveness of garden house preservation is hindered by slow administrative processes and insufficient financial support for owners to maintain these structures.

APA

Kusakabe, K., Shrestha, P., Kumar, S., & Nguyen, K. L. (2014). Advancing green growth in the tourism sector: The case of Hue, Vietnam. Climate and Development Knowledge Network. http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Hue-Inside-Story_WEB.pdf

Chicago

Kusakabe, Kyoko, Pujan Shrestha, S. Kumar, and Khanh Linh Nguyen. Advancing green growth in the tourism sector: The case of Hue, Vietnam. Climate and Development Knowledge Network, 2014. http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Hue-Inside-Story_WEB.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Kusakabe |first1=Kyoko |last2=Shrestha |first2=Pujan |last3=Kumar |first3=S. |last4=Nguyen |first4=Khanh Linh |title=Advancing green growth in the tourism sector: The case of Hue, Vietnam |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |date=May 2014 |url=http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Hue-Inside-Story_WEB.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{kusakabe2014advancing, author = {Kusakabe, Kyoko and Shrestha, Pujan and Kumar, S. and Nguyen, Khanh Linh}, title = {{Advancing green growth in the tourism sector: The case of Hue, Vietnam}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2014}, month = may, url = {http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Hue-Inside-Story_WEB.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }