Editorial: Sustainable tourism

Editorial: Sustainable tourism

THE call for sustainable tourism has been around for quite some time but here in the Philippines, it gained spotlight following the closure of Boracay Island in 2018.

The island was closed after authorities found it plagued with environmental problems.

Following Boracay, the government through the Department of Tourism and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources have implemented programs and projects that seeks to not only rehabilitate tourism sites in the country but also promote sustainability.

To ensure that the tourism industry is sustainable, existing policies on environment and tourism must be updated or news ones must be created. Also, these policies, exisiting and new, must be implemented properly.

“Sustainability and competitiveness go hand in hand. Destinations and businesses can flourish while making a meaningful contribution to sustainability in several ways, including through the efficient use of resources, promoting biodiversity conservation and taking action to fight climate change,” Zurab Pololikashvili, United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Secretary-General, said in a statement.

Here in the Philippines, we learned it the hard way on the downside of a tourism industry that disregards the importance of caring the environment or using resources efficiently.

It is a good thing that the tourism industry has learned from its previous mistakes and have taken measures to ensure that what they are doing now is to cultivate a sustainable industry.

Whether it is ditching the straws, calls on tourists to be more responsible, proper waste management, and strictly following environmental laws, the tourism industry in the Philippines has made simple steps towards sustainability.

We hope the government would also continue to promote a sustainable tourism industry for future generations to continue to enjoy the beauty of the Philippine islands.

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