Going Green: Ecotourism, the new trend in travel!

A new and popular trend in travel is making waves and I believe most of us heard a lot about it. Ecotourism is trending now in travel! Especially in our country whose provinces highly depending on it nowadays. Ecotourism is one of the key components of Green Travel. It a new kind of tourism that encourages green travel but at the same time encourages and promotes community's active participation, development and economic growth in the area where ecotourism site is.

Hundred Islands National Park, an ecotourism site in Pangasinan.

In the country, especially in the tourist provinces, ecotourism is highly practice like in Palawan and Bohol. The government done several acts and laws and to strengthen and support ecotourism in our country. It also at the same time help the surge of tourists in the ecotourism sites of the province. The result is many people in the community places depend on it like their everyday livelihood, income and development aside from the promotion of the province as a destination of choice. More and more people are visiting the ecotourism sites and more provinces are developing their ecotourism potential to invite visitors and gearing up for this kind of travel as a result as well. It also enables the provinces to gear up for this kind of travel because of its positive and beneficial effects to the province and community. The good concept of ecotourism is that not only the place or tourism site is promoted but also encourages a sustainable tourism by giving enviromental awareness, taking care and preserving the place and at the same time help the people around it in their livelihood and income through participation and education about it. Ecotourism promoted both community growth, provincial tourism and green travel!

Here's a concrete definition and principle of Ecotourism: Ecotourism  is a form of sustainable tourism within a natural and cultural heritage area where community participation, protection and management of natural resources, cultural and indigenous knowledge and practices, environmental education and ethics as well as economic benefits are fostered and pursued for the enrichment of host communities and satisfaction of visitors. Ecotourism helps in sustaining the development of the country as it aims to protect our natural resources, on which the ecotourism industry depends. 

Loboc River in Bohol - one of the ecotourism sites in the Philippines.

Principles of Ecotourism:

Ecotourism is about uniting conservation, communities, and sustainable travel. This means that those who implement and participate in ecotourism activities should follow the following ecotourism principles:

* Minimize impact.

* Build environmental and cultural awareness and respect.

* Provide positive experiences for both visitors and hosts.

* Provide direct financial benefits for conservation.

* Provide financial benefits and empowerment for local people.

* Raise sensitivity to host countries' political, environmental, and social climate.

Ecotourism in the Philippines

The Philippine Department of Tourism's hat has been thrown into ecotourism game for awhile now. They've made it part of their plan for economic development. The country's ecotourism program strives to install processes and procedures that are economically beneficial, socially responsible, ecologically sustainable and advantageous to the local communities by creating jobs and improving living conditions overall. Palawan is the second biggest province in the country in terms of land area and has been recommended by the tourism department as the top eco-destination in the country.

Ecotourism Activities

There are a variety of eco-friendly activities available for the ecotourist to enjoy: Swimming with whale sharks in the their natural environment or getting out the binoculars and watching for the rare Philippine Eagle or 600 other varieties of birds. A traveler can also go to a jungle environment survival training camp where he or she can be taught to drink from a water vine, cook in a bamboo steamer and dine off a bamboo plate. Other activities include Trekking/Mountaineering, Wildlife Watching, Scuba Diving/Snorkling, Caving, Kayaking/Rafting and Surfing.

Eco-friendly Resorts

The Department of Tourism recommends The El Nido, Lagen and Miniloc Island Resorts, Club Noah Isabelle and the Bohol Bee Farm. These hotels all carry out environmentally friendly practices: Coastal clean ups, prohibiting the gathering of shells and coral, eco-safe cleanser and many others.

Taal Volcano from Tagaytay City - an ecotoursim site.

I'm glad that more and more province in our country are gearing up towards ecotourism. Its the new trend in travel that a lot of travelers are attracted to. And hotels and resorts are leaning to Green Hotels concepts. It only shows that ecotourism and going green is not just profitable but very helpful in the livelihood of people involve because of its positive benefits. Its has a beneficial idea and principle behind it. A sustainable tourism is a good way to practice and promote green travel. I'm glad to experience and visited some ecotourism site in our country like Bohol, Hundred Islands National Park, Taal Volcano and Tagaytay City. I hopefully to see other ecoutourism sights and places in the country like Palawan (the ecotourism capital of the Philippines), Camiguin, Mayon Volcano and Vigan. And there's a lot more ecotourism places in the country! And more potential places to develop too! May more travelers and visitors promote ecotourism in the Philippines. The beauty of nature is hard to resist and marvel. Ecotourism preserves it while sharing that beauty.  

Special thanks to these sources:The International Ecotourism Society, WikiPilipinas, and Josh Peterson.