As President Aquino gives his full support to the new tourism program, controversial slogan and all, there is another aspect that he can remind his tourism team not to overlook: the vast potential of tourism for protecting the environment. While a number of World Heritage Sites and other international attractions have suffered from the constant crush of visitors and overexposure to the hot glare of camera flashes, other destinations have been saved from deterioration by the arrival of tourists.
Residents of Palawan learned many years ago the benefits of promoting ecotourism. Local and foreign tourists alike have been flocking to the province for its natural attractions, made more enticing because residents have exerted effort to preserve the natural environment and keep the surroundings clean. Residents have become the best custodians of the coral reefs of the province – still among the most extensive in the world but endangered by poachers and destructive fishing methods.
Bohol and the areas around Albay Gulf have also seen the benefits of ecotourism, with the regular visits of whale sharks and dolphins raising tourism revenue. Other provinces are realizing that clean and green attractions lure visitors, while pollution and haphazard development can turn off people from once-popular destinations.
Efforts to boost tourism in the Ifugao Rice Terraces can also be linked to the preservation of the environment and the distinctive Cordillera culture. The terraced rice paddies continue to deteriorate from neglect, with young residents leaving the mountains for better livelihood opportunities elsewhere. Last year a landslide destroyed a large chunk of the terraces, highlighting the continuing erosion of the paddies. As an old ditty goes, planting rice isn’t fun, and it’s harder in terraced paddies. Perhaps the Department of Tourism can partner with other agencies to show that planting rice in properly preserved paddies can actually be fun – and a viable livelihood source. Saving the environment can be a tourism draw in itself.