Cebu to develop eco-tourism attractions in the countryside

CEBU, Philippines - Although Bohol may now be the preferred eco-tourism destination in the Philippines, Cebu likewise has the potential to prosper in this particular tourism aspect especially in the countryside areas.

Department of Tourism (DOT-7) regional director Rowena Montecillo said that Cebu will complement Bohol in terms of eco-tourism related attractions, and is currently helping some municipalities in the province that has the potential to maximize the eco-tourism advantage, in a parallel move to push adventure tourism in the province.

Montecillo said DOT-7 is now slowly working with the respective local government units (LGUs) and tourism prime movers and stakeholders to promote both the eco-tourism and adventure tourism destinations in Cebu.

Cebu is widely known as the gateway and urban tourism hub in the Southern Philippines because of its rich heritage, culture, shopping, night life, fine and world-class hotels and resorts, beaches. This time, the promotion efforts will also be reinforced to help the community-based tourism sectors, through identifying the areas that have good potential for eco and adventure tourism attractions, and activities.

Montecillo said that it is important for Cebu to develop its resources in the eco-tourism sector, considering that the province is going to be the host for this year’s 5th World Economic Forum, this coming November.

Although Cebu is recognizing the success of Bohol in terms of capitalizing on its eco-tourism advantage, Cebu on the other hand, will not entirely compete with its sister province, however, it will complement and add up to tourists’ options of this kind of destinations, and tourists’ demand.

In an earlier interview with UN-WTO regional vice president for Asia Pacific Lee Choon Loong, he said that eco-tourism component in the world tourism sector is one of the fastest growing sectors.

“The eco-tourism is now a very important buzz-word in the tourism sector. The Philippines has huge and beautiful natural resources," Lee added.

Lee suggested that Cebu will maximize its rich marine resources in the eco-tourism component, with careful implementation of marine resource preservation, and implementing strongly involvement of the community.

In the Philippines, DOT assistant secretary for tourism development planning Rolando Canizal said the department has identified four top eco-tourism destinations and these are: Bohol, Palawan, Cagayan Valley and Mt. Apo in Davao.

At present, Costa Rica is the number one eco-tourism destination in the world because of its organized and systematic policies to promote eco-tourism heavily involving the community to participate reaping the opportunities of tourism. /JOB (FREEMAN)