Con Dao District is currently dealing with 70,000 tons of garbage.
In response to the waste management problem, Con Dao authorities and the provincial tourism department of Ba Ria–Vung Tau have decided to apply an entry fee for tourists visiting the archipelago to fund waste treatment and other preservation activities, Sai Gon Giai Phong reports. The measure was announced in a meeting with Ba Ria–Vung Tau People's Committee.
"There are tourists who only visit the island for one day and but leave a certain amount of trash behind. Con Dao District does not earn anything from them. Those tourists need to be responsible for maintaining the island’s ecosystem," said Trinh Hang, director of the provincial Department of Tourism.
The islands making up Con Dao produce 15 tons of waste per day, while the district's waste treatment plant can only treat five tons of garbage per day. The province's 4,000-square-meter landfill, which has been used as Con Dao's only location for waste burial for the last 20 years, is running out of space. As of now, only 300 square meters are left vacant of trash. Last month, the district's plan to transfer the trash to the mainland for disposal was approved.
Apart from funding for Con Dao's waste treatment, money collected from entrance fees will also be used for restorations of historical sites and improving public facilities. Local residents and people working in the area will not have to pay the fee, according to Hang.
While some sites on Con Dao are currently collecting entrance fees, the new entrance fee will include a one-time payment for access to all sites of the archipelago. Relevant authorities are deliberating the appropriate amount to charge.
