A series of restaurants and service businesses in Da Nang’s Hai Chau downtown district are enthusiastically participating in the ‘Comfort as home’ model to allow local citizens and tourists to use the restroom for free, easing out their problem of finding public toilets. This model has been highly praised by local residents and tourists as they can now relieve themselves in many restaurants and service businesses across this downtown district without charge.

Youth union members encouraging business households to participate in the "Comfort as home" model to open their toilets to the public. Photo: NHAT HA

Hai Chau District People's Committee Vice Chairman Nguyen Van Duy said that the district authority has sent the open letter to individuals, units, organizations and businesses in the locality to call for their voluntary participation in the "Comfort as home" model. The intention is to encourage them to allow locals and tourists to use the toilet for free with an open mind and friendly spirit.

Initiated in 2015 by the ​​Hai Chau District Business Association, the model engaged many hotels, restaurants, coffee shops and offices in the district, and it has then spread widely all over the locality. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the operation of this model in this downtown district.

Recently, Hai Chau District Authority has issued a call to action to bring together individuals, organizations and service businesses across the locality to join the "Comfort as home" model in order to open their toilet facilities to the public during high tourism season in the city as it is indeed a welcome step considering the scarcity of public toilets in the city. The participation of service businesses in this model provides the opportunity for them to connect with potential customers, as well as helps them promote and introduce their business products to customers, and show social responsibility in business, demonstrate civilized behavior in public places, join forces with local government to build healthy cultural environments.

In response to the call of the district authority, the participating establishments display the logo ‘Comfort as home’ at a convenient location for residents and tourists to easily see and freely use the restroom. The initiative will make the city more inviting to domestic and international tourists as it will make them feel a lot more welcome.

Till date, Hai Chau District has engaged more than 500 eligible service businesses, including restaurants, bars, cafes, hotels with this model. Besides, 258 other establishments have showed their willingness to allow local citizens and tourists to use their toilets for free.

The initiative taken by Hai Chau District is applauded by local residents and tourists as they easily find establishments that display “free toilet” signs with a blue smiley face with the message ‘Comfort as home’ when they need to answer the call of nature. Inability to find or use toilets when outside the home also has implications for bladder or kidney health when forced to hold, it can also result in embarrassing accidents.

Ms. Tran Thi Thu Hang, a resident of Lien Chieu District highlighted the important role of business households operating in busy streets, especially street crowded with tourists, in joining the meaningful model, thereby contributing to protecting the living environment, and keep the city’s environment green, clean and beautiful.

Like Hai Chau District, other localities across Da Nang have taken such initiative as part of their efforts to promote civilized urban image to domestic and international tourists, and make Da Nang a livable and friendly city. At the same time, the initiative helps the district, and the city as whole, to cut down its budget for construction and maintenance of public toilets.

Mr. Nguyen Nhu Nam, the General Director of Vietnam TravelMart Joint Stock Company applauded the initiative to bring convenience to locals and tourists, thereby contributing to making Da Nang different from other localities due to the friendliness and hospitality of local people. However, Mr. Nam stressed the need for the city to build more public toilets in places crowded with tourists, or facilitate local businesses to provide toilet facilities for locals and tourists. He added that toilet service providers could be allowed to collect user fees by local government but they must make sure that their restrooms are clean for users.

Reporting by NHAT HA – Translating by H.L