Ecotourism in the Philippines: Maximizing Visitor Engagement and Environmental Awareness
Due to the unique geography, culture, and nature of the country, the archipelagic nation of the Philippines is one of the favorites and most visited countries among tourists. This is clearly shown by the country’s many tourism accolades, including but not limited to topping the rankings of the Uzakrota Global Travel Awards, “World's Best Country Tourism Destination” in 2022; ranking 8th among the Condé Nast Traveler awards for favorite tourist destinations; and winning four (4) awards at the prestigious World Travel Awards 2023, including being a world leader in dive destinations, global tourism resilience, and having the world’s leading beach destinations. With the Philippines recording over five (5) million foreign tourists in 2023 alone, a number that is expected to go higher with the end of the recent COVID-19 pandemic, there is a need to promote and mainstream responsible, sustainable, and mindful tourism. One such form is Ecotourism.
Ecotourism fosters greater environmental and cultural understanding, appreciation, and awareness. According to the definition of the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), there are five (5) characteristics of ecotourism activity, including aiding in the maintenance and conservation of natural areas through generating economic activity for local communities, providing forms of employment and opportunities for local communities, and increasing awareness towards the conservation of natural resources, in both locals and tourists, among others.
The Philippines stands to benefit from making ecotourism practices mainstream— the richness of the country's biodiversity and resources are naturally intertwined with tourist activities all over the country Take for example one of the most famous dive sites in the Philippines: The Tubbataha Reefs. Through more sustainable and educational tourism activities, tourists gain more knowledge and awareness about the environment making them more responsible tourists and and greater protection of the reefs. This helps ensure the effectiveness of local conservation efforts within the marine protected areas (MPAs) which subsequently leads to increased fish catch for the local fishing communities and additional livelihood options through tourism activities (e.g. as guides or boatmen for tourists). This kind of symbiosis is the key to a successful and community-based ecotourism system and similar stories can be found across other case studies about tourism in marine protected areas (MPAs).
Overall, areas with successful ecotourism activities showed an increase in the standard of living in the local communities through higher and more diversified income streams for locals. This revenue-sharing system has meant that local communities had a greater stake in conserving the environment which served to incentivize them to conserve their reefs and marine resources instead of depleting natural resources through unsustainable fishing practices.
Despite these good practices, not all tourist destinations in the Philippines apply these principles at the forefront. One glaring and famous case is in the white sandy beaches of Boracay Island, where the local indigenous Ati communities have been displaced, marginalized, and discriminated against— a fact that is often not brought to light when discussions on the island are undertaken. This, combined with the environmental damage of rapid urbanization and development and the lack of compliance among many establishments goes against everything that sustainable tourism aims to accomplish. Many similar cases in popular or mainstream tourist destinations still struggle with these challenges and have yet to adopt ecotourism principles.
This piece will explore methods of improvement and pathways to integrate the principles guiding ecotourism, focusing on three main aspects of ecotourism: local engagement, minimization of adverse effects, and environmental awareness. Adopting these principles and shifting to more responsible and ecological tourism can lead to significant benefits for the local communities, environmental conservation, and tourist engagement.
Local Engagement
One aspect deeply rooted in the principles of Ecotourism is the involvement of the local communities of the area. This provides both formal and informal employment opportunities to locals, with community engagement in ecotourism practices helping to fund local conservation practices for biodiversity, and boosting the local economy through engaging small and local businesses. In the book “Role of Ecotourism in Sustainable Development”, author Tuğba Kiper shares this in the discussion:
“A symbiotic and complex relationship between the environment and tourist activities is possible when this philosophy can be translated into appropriate policy, careful planning, and tactful practicum. Carefully planned and operated ecotourism sites… provide direct benefits that might offset pressure from other less sustainable activities…”
Investment in both communities and conservation in key sites is important to the success of these initiatives. Studies have shown that consistent investment into the management of coastal and marine ecosystems, like mangroves, yielded significantly greater increases in tourist and fishery revenue, exceeding the initial investment cost. In addition, community investment may help ease any social equity implications from tourism, and help increase the effectiveness of conservation by alleviating the “day-to-day subsistence” that prevents local communities from effectively participating in environmental measures.
Minimization of Adverse Effects
Tourism-related activities inherently come with threats of social and environmental impacts when tourists flock to popular destinations. Problems such as ecosystem disturbance, waste, forced displacement of locals, and gentrification often happen due to visitors overcrowding on few destinations. It has been reported that the industry is responsible for 8% of the total global emissions. In the Philippines, one of the biggest and most recent tourist attractions that suffered from the impacts of tourism was Boracay in 2018. The Island underwent a six-month closure to clean up the whole area and surrounding seas, due to the untreated wastewater draining directly to the immediate waters. Situations such as this necessitate consistent environmental, social, and cultural conservation efforts, as well as environmentally responsible behavior of tourists.
Aside from community involvement, another principle that is prime in pursuing ecotourism is the management and protection of the site’s natural resources. It is clearly defined that ecotourism aims to provide an avenue of socio-cultural and environmental preservation together with the enjoyment of touristic activities. For this to be effective, systems to minimize environmental degradation and disruption of social or cultural life must be ensured. In Bantayan Island, Cebu, establishments implement responsible waste management strategies, and environmental stewardship is fostered among local communities through their active participation in clean-up drives. These contribute to keeping the beaches clean for tourists while also minimizing the negative impacts of improper waste management.
Alongside environmental management strategies, strategies to protect local culture and communities are also essential, as seen in the example of the Bulusan Volcano National Park in Sorsogon. Case studies show that while their resource conservation strategies are effective, they still struggle to protect the local culture and traditions of their communities from commodification and trivialization. It is important to ensure that tourism activities result in a win-win situation for the people and the environment.
All in all, striking a balance between development and environmental conservation is indeed crucial in ecotourism. Sustainable use of natural resources as well as the protection of the local communities’ culture should be an anchor in such pursuits. While it is now becoming increasingly prominent, conservation strategies must be done in all the ecotourism sites across the country.
Environmental Awareness
Prioritizing environmental awareness, especially in ecotourism, is crucial to understanding and respecting the Philippines’ natural ecosystems. In encouraging this behavior, society as a whole can ensure the long-term preservation of our country’s most impacted locations.
One example of how this can be done is through educational briefings on ecotourism sites, where managers and the local community hold a pre-activity discussion about the state and importance of the environment and local ecosystems and provide a briefing on how visitors must behave when they are visiting certain areas. These activities should also pay particular attention to the insights, learnings, and takeaways of visiting tourists as a way to constantly improve their educational outcomes, conservation efforts, and tourism activities overall. In Høyem’s (2020) study about the impacts of outdoor recreation and cultivating positive environmental behavior, one finding is that the realization of the inherent ties between humans and the environment should be an output of sustainable recreation. With the escalating threats on the ecosystems hosting tourist sites, the inclusion of different environmental education is imperative in protecting tourist destinations and engaging tourists and local communities more effectively.
Conclusion
The Philippines’ natural and cultural heritage offers a unique opportunity to promote ecotourism as a sustainable and responsible alternative to conventional tourism. The success stories, such as the Tubbataha Reefs, effectively demonstrate how ecotourism can generate economic benefits for local communities, enhance conservation efforts, and provide visitors with meaningful experiences. By bringing these concerns to light, the importance of local engagement and community efforts stand out. Creating a beneficial relationship between tourism, local livelihoods, and environmental conservation is both special and essential for creating sustainable development and preserving the natural and cultural heritage of the Philippines.
In prioritizing the principles of ecotourism outlined above, the Philippines may transition toward a more sustainable and inclusive tourism model. These efforts have the potential to preserve the country’s natural beauty, as well as support the local communities that have been impacted by these negative effects. Ecotourism, when effectively implemented, can be a powerful tool for achieving sustainable development goals, and it is through this piece that we recognize the necessity of maintaining a balance between tourism growth and environmental conservation.
Note: This blog is a collaborative piece by Adrian Mendoza, Nigel Tan, and Lauren Hood, on their chosen environmental issue. They are all undergraduate interns from the 2024 Summer Internship Program of Parabukas. Lauren’s international internship was made possible through the Queen’s Project on International Development (QPID) program of Queen’s University, Ontario, Canada.