In celebration of International Plastic Bag Free Day (July 3), let’s take a closer look at how the "convenient" plastic bags we use during our travels are silently stripping away the essence of the places we visit.

🏝️ First: The Theft of Tourist Experiences and Memories, Leaving Behind Negative Impressions

The commercialization of mass tourism brings with it a "tornado" of plastic bags enveloping natural wonders. The moment waste appears, it instantly strips away humanity’s "right to experience untamed perfection"

New visitors face a jarring sight, finding it difficult to seek tranquility when a pristine white sand beach or a majestic cliffside is "re-colored" by a chaotic mix of plastic bags. Meanwhile, those returning to rediscover past memories are met only with deep disappointment. Travel memories are warped, the destination's appeal plummets, and the iconic imagery of the land gradually fades away.

According to a survey by Booking.com, 46% of travelers in Vietnam admit that the amount of waste and pollution from tourism activities poses a major challenge to local destinations. The Vietnam National Authority of Tourism has also warned that the overwhelming accumulation of waste at tourist spots after festive seasons directly diminishes their attractiveness, lowers service quality, and leaves a poor impression of Vietnam's tourism image on international friends.

Yet, the concern extends far beyond tourist perceptions; the ripple effect of tourism waste reaches much deeper…

🦅 Second: The Depletion of Time-Honored Identity and Local "Lifelines"

Natural landscapes serve as the cradle that shapes indigenous cultures. However, tourism waste - especially non-biodegradable plastic bags - is quietly eroding that authenticity, turning heritage sites into "public dumping grounds" and replacing natural wonders with negative commercialization.

The scattered presence of plastic bags and discarded bottles does more than just ruin visual aesthetics; it desecrates the sacred space of historic monuments and scenic landmarks. When a destination becomes overloaded with trash, the local community faces the looming threat of abandoning their traditional lifestyles and livelihoods to chase after chaotic, short-term commercial services.

This "disconnection" runs deeper than we realize. In many regions, core cultural values are intimately tied to a deep reverence for nature. Littering, therefore, reflects a fundamental lack of respect for the heritage and living environment of the local people.

A prime example is Ly Son Island (Quang Ngai). Once celebrated as a pristine paradise with its unique cultural heritage of the Hoang Sa Flotilla, the island has faced a severe crisis of plastic waste and bags following a tourism boom. Centuries-old coral reefs - the very "lifeline" of the marine ecosystem and the pride of local fishermen - were already weakened by overexploitation and are now suffocating under blankets of plastic trash. Consequently, biodiversity has sharply declined, forcing traditional fishing practices to phase out. This depletion not only impacts the economy but inflicts a profound wound on the residents' pride in a homeland sea that was once crystal clear like jade.

Reflecting on the impacts on local communities and the visible scars inflicted upon nature, International Plastic Bag Free Day (July 3) calls on us to confront a stark reality: our landscapes are losing their "authentic" beauty, and change must begin with the actions of every individual.

Adopting a Zero Waste mindset while traveling is not an elite concept. It is as simple as actively shaking your head to refuse a plastic bag at a souvenir shop, or packing a few reusable cloth bags in your suitcase before every trip.

Let July 3 this year serve as the milestone where we restore the "authenticity" of nature. Let each journey we take leave behind nothing but footsteps and memories, not plastic bags that take hundreds of years to decompose.

References:

Booking.com’s 2025 Sustainable Travel Research Report: https://news.booking.com/bookingcoms-2025-research-reveals-growing-traveler-awareness-of-tourism-impact-on-communities-both-at-home-and-abroad/

Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (vietnamtourism.gov.vn): https://vietnamtourism.gov.vn/post/29612

Tuoi Tre Newspaper, “Waste besieges Dao Be, Ly Son district cannot cope” (2025): https://tuoitre.vn/plo/rac-thai-bua-vay-dao-be-huyen-ly-son-khong-xu-ly-xue-post844595.html

VOV.VN, Handling nearly 1 ton of plastic waste in Ly Son island sea area (2024): https://vov.vn/xa-hoi/tin-24h/xu-ly-gan-1-tan-rac-thai-nhua-khu-vuc-bien-dao-ly-son-post1097156.vov

#DakLakZeroWasteTourism #DulichKhongrac #InternationalPlasticBagFreeDay #GreenHub

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