The case for smoke-free tourism
Iam not a smoker, nor are any of my family members or close friends. Like most non-smokers, I get annoyed sometimes when walking behind people who smoke in public places where I cannot avoid inhaling their fumes. That’s why a regional meeting on smoke-free cities last week caught my attention. Held in the ancient town of Hoi An in Vietnam, it gathered over 100 smoke-free leaders from Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, the Philippines and Thailand. They discussed steps to promote and strengthen smoke-free campaigns at tourist attractions including heritage sites.
Obviously, tourism is an important economic driver for cities in Asia Pacific, the second most visited region in the world after Europe. Statistics show that the region welcomed 308 million international tourists in 2016, accounting for 30% of global tourism receipts.
Vietnam has been at the forefront of promoting smoke-free tourism, starting with the coastal city of Ha Long several years ago. Authorities there work to raise awareness about the harmful effects of smoking and second-hand smoke through various communication channels.
To me, successful tourism relies not only on individual attractions but on a welcoming and healthy environment. I think it’s important to strengthen efforts to ensure residents and visitors alike have clean air to breathe at such places.
Tourism is an excellent opportunity to showcase the beauty, diversity, hospitality and culture of a country. The challenge is how to make smoke-free travel an integral part of the experience.
In Asean, heritage sites that have active smoke-free policies are Angkor in Cambodia, Borobudur and Prambanan temple compounds in Indonesia, Malacca and George Town (Penang) in Malaysia, Luang Prabang and Vat Phou, Champasak in Laos, Hoi An and Ha Long Bay in Vietnam, as well as the Pindaya Caves in Myanmar.
In addition to protecting visitors’ health, good smoke-free enforcement has the added benefit of reducing the risk of a potentially catastrophic fire caused by a carelessly discarded cigarette.
It is encouraging to see that smoke-free regulations are being expanded in many countries. Thailand, for example, now bans smoking on beaches and is about to further restrict it near all buildings. At heritage sites, in particular, conservation authorities should develop and enforce a strong and comprehensive policy to prevent and reduce tobacco-caused damage.
There was a time when some in the tourism industry complained that smoking bans would keep people away from hotels, restaurants and other spots. But there is now significant statistical evidence that such policies have not led to revenue or job losses or reduced visitor numbers.
Many hotels now proudly proclaim themselves to be smoke-free as more people seek to indulge themselves without being exposed to noxious smoke-filled rooms. Even Las Vegas has climbed on the bandwagon, with bans on smoking in all restaurants and many
other areas, though gaming areas of many casinos are still exempt. That said, the casinos invest heavily in state-of-the-art ventilation to keep all customers happy.
“Multiple studies show that tourists prefer to travel to places where the environment is healthy and making a tourist attraction 100% smoke-free is a sure way to make it healthy for everyone,” says Dr Domilyn Villarreiz, Smoke-free programme manager of the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA).
Speaking at the Hoi An meeting, she noted that a non-smoking environment will also aid in preserving old monuments and buildings and prevent non-biodegradable cigarette butts from littering the environment.
“In the region, most countries have comprehensive laws in place to create wider and more effective health zones featuring smokefree workplaces, public transport, restaurants, bars and other public places,” she added.
In my view, creating a smoke-free environment can be a unique opportunity to enhance tourism as non-smokers and people with allergies (me in both cases) prefer travelling to areas where they can take a deep breath while relaxing and enjoying the beauty around them.
Definitely, non-smokers like me will be more than willing to pay slightly more for destinations that offer us the healthiest environment.
A smoke-free environment is also an important criterion for achieving “eco-city” status to attract more tourists. In Vietnam, the success of programmes in Hoi An and Ha Long contributed to the passage of the broader nationwide Tobacco Control Law in May 2013.
I hope that tourism authorities and private-sector organisations commit to promoting smoke-free tourism and advocate for effective enforcement. Asia Pacific countries can lead the way by transforming themselves into healthier places to live and visit.