Ecotourism opportunities abound for Phl travel sector

MANILA, Philippines - Opportunities to create awareness for the Philippines’ many ecotourism destinations have never been stronger than today.

Following El Nido Resorts’ (ENR) inclusion as one of 12 global finalists in the highly prestigious Tourism for Tomorrow Awards (TTA) to be concluded this month in Abu Dhabi, UAE, interest in the country’s environmental-oriented travel sites is bound to gain considerable momentum.

According to Mariglo Laririt, ENR director for sustainability, global industry experts have lauded the country’s ecotourism. Yet El Nido Resorts is the only Philippine destination that has made it thus far to the TTA, the “Oscars” of worldwide tourism awards.

El Nido Resorts’ cluster of four eco-tourism destinations in the municipalities of El Nido and Taytay in Palawan made it to the finals of the TTA in 2007 and in the ‘90s. “The Philippines has a lot more to collectively show,” she remarked.

The TTA is organized by the World Travel and Tourism Council, a forum of business leaders in the travel and tourism industry. The awards body is chaired by Costas Christ, an editor of National Geographic Traveler and one of the world’s sustainable tourism experts, who helped coin and define the word “ecotourism.”

Christ himself visited El Nido Resorts this year to verify data it submitted for the Community Benefit Award. Winners of TTA greatly benefit from the strong publicity focused on winners of the contest judged by highly credible judges.

Laririt discloses that among the contributions El Nido Resorts is proudest of is the livelihood it has generated in the past 30 years for the locals – a number of whom are now children of the firms’ “old-timers” hired in the ‘80s and ‘90s and who continue to serve.

It has also partnered with locals as suppliers and initiated community development projects like bag and slippers weaving with the final products presented to El Nido Resorts’ guests as room amenities.  

In addition, the company has partnered with the local government unit towards the preservation of the area including charging El Nido visitors a P200 tax to be applied to environmental programs like regular costal clean-ups and the presence today of rangers to enforce environmental guidelines.

Christ has remarked in travel forums that “sustainability is an essential part of a growing a business” related to tourism and travel.  Firms that are now delivering a conservation benefit – of which there are a number in the Philippines --  are “at the forefront of an economic paradigm shift in the global economy where the emergence of a sustainable business economy is increasingly the norm and less the exception.”

Among El Nido Resorts’ most visible sustainability programs is its initiative to grow its own lettuce, green beans, watermelon and other fruits and vegetables.

According to Laurent Lamasuta, president of Ten Knots Development Corp., developers of El Nido Resorts, the firm previously flew in as much as 192 kilos of salad greens per month from Manila but decided to grow its own  in greenhouses in 2006  given Palawan’s marginal soil.

Soil in the greenhouses is mixed with compost recycled from the four resorts’ food scraps and kitchen trimmings. These are mixed with carbonized saw dust to become an ideal planting medium.

In addition to inspiring other resorts to adopt similar practices, Laririt hopes to encourage them to forge strong ties with local communities “because it makes great business sense.” Ninety percent of El Nido employees are locals. Turnover at the four resorts is minimal giving rise to exceptional guest services and return guest visits.

Moreover, employees communicate to guests a strong sense of pride in their little archipelago in Bacuit Bay. Pride in their community is instilled through regular training sessions with El Nido Resorts environmental officers who brief them monthly on the flora and fauna and outstanding biodiversity of the bay.

 â€œOften our room housekeeping staff are the ones who convince our guests to try snorkeling and diving for a first time,” said Laririt. “Their enthusiasm for the treasures of their community is easily picked up by the guests.”

 Laririt is affirmed by the fact that a growing number of studies report the growing popularity of ecotourism. A recent study sponsored by the International Luxury Market discloses: “Gradually, luxury travelers have assimilated the principles of sustainable development, including environmental care and social responsibility. More and more, they show greater interest in closer contact with locals and in experiencing local culture as an integral part of the travel experience.”

The number of well-heeled clients who travel to El Nido Resorts annually strongly support this finding. She is confident that other Philippine ecotourism sites with sustainable practices and strong community relations could likewise benefit from this trend.