[av_one_full first min_height=” vertical_alignment=” space=” custom_margin=” margin=’0px’ padding=’0px’ border=” border_color=” radius=’0px’ background_color=” src=” background_position=’top left’ background_repeat=’no-repeat’ animation=”]
[av_heading heading=’ Solon advocates for sustainable tourism after LaBoracay ‘fiasco’’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
By Prince Golez, Manila Reporter
[/av_heading]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”]
Saturday, May 6, 2017
[/av_textblock]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”]
MANILA – The Department of Tourism (DOT) is being asked to launch a campaign that will promote sustainable tourism practices among tourists.
Sen. Nancy Binay, the chairwoman of the Senate committee on tourism, made the proposal in connection with complaints of garbage left after the LaBoracay weekend events.
“The Department of Tourism and its attached agencies should not only be concerned with the promotion of the country’s tourist spots but also their protection,” Binay said.
“Commercialization of nature coupled with unethical practices and irresponsible tourism are ingredients to ecocide that have an exploitative impact on the environment and communities,” she added.
The DOT should launch a drive to encourage tourists to take more care of the environment, according to the senator from Makati.
Binay said information campaigns also need to be undertaken in other famous tourist places like Puerto Galera in Oriental Mindoro and Baguio City in Benguet.
US-based travel-review website TripAdvisor report said Boracay Island is Asia’s top tourist destination. Foreign arrivals in the tropical island in Aklan province surged by 11 percent or 1.7 million in 2016, compared to last year’s 1.56 million.
“We know that tourism campaigns work because hyped up and greatly commercialized events have managed to draw thousands to these shores. But this time, I hope that we can work together in calling for the promotion of responsible tourism. We must convince organizers and tourists alike to choose to be responsible for their actions and comply with the conditions set by local government units,” Binay said./PN
[/av_textblock]
[/av_one_full]
