The hospitality industry in Mon State to replace single-use plastic with glass from upcoming tourism peak season
Hotels and motels in the Mon State will transition from single-use plastic to reusable glass bottles in the upcoming tourism peak season to reduce environmental impacts through green practices, emphasized U Zay Yar Tun, director of the Mon State’s Directorate of Hotels and Tourism.
There are a total of 88 hotels and motels having 3,141 rooms in the Mon State and holding business licences issued by the Mon State Tourism Committee. Those sustainable hotels will promote local products such as cotton clothing with a view to supporting MSME development in the State. They will ditch single-use plastic and provide reusable glass bottles and jars for their service as a dedication to sustainable business.
“With an attempt to create a new tourism destination in Mon State, the department is planning a City Tour to over 100-year-old colonial-era buildings in the State to explore a unique colonial architecture. We have provided healthcare services for tourists through private hospitals in the State, except for criminal injuries. Another eco-friendly practice is that hotels, motels and guesthouses will serve drinking water in glass bottles and jars instead of plastic bottles. The hospitality industry will initiate going plastic- free from November simultaneously,” U Zay Yar Tun highlighted. Additionally, under the supervision of the Mon State government and guidance of Mon State’s Directorate of Hotels and Tourism, 76 hotels and motels are accredited regional-level Enchanting Myanmar Health and Safety Protocol certificates to ensure hotel safety and security functions.
Also, 29 of them have received the State-level Enchanting Myanmar Health and Safety Protocol certificates and three hotels are proceeding to be awarded the title through digital platforms. Stakeholders in the tourism industry including officials from the department concerned, hotel chains, healthcare service providers, transport operators, restaurants, MSME business persons and locals are moving towards sustainable tourism development. — ASH/EM
