Effect of tourism on waste discharge and treatment in Vietnam’s Red River Delta

Tourism significantly contributes to many countries’ economies. When regions with traditional agricultural occupations and suitable land, soil, and labor change their economic development strategies to promote industry and services such as tourism, the contribution of agriculture decreases and that of other sectors increases. However, tourism growth also increases waste and has various effects on the environment. Using panel data from 11 Red River Delta provinces spanning 2010–2021, this study investigates the effect of Vietnam’s tourism economy on the environment based on waste discharge and treatment. The regression results show that the number of tourism businesses and amount of tourism income are positively related to waste discharge and treatment. Meanwhile, the number of tourism workers and tourism’s contribution to local economies are negatively related to waste discharge and treatment. These findings can help local managers balance tourism development and investment in waste discharge and treatment at tourist destinations to promote sustainable tourism development.