Friday 25 October 2013

Global Ecotourism Conference to be Hosted by Cebu City

More than 500 international delegates will attend the 5th World Ecotourism Conference at the Radis­son Blu Hotel in Cebu City this November 13-15. The theme will be “Marine and Coastal Ecotourism: Oceans of Uncertainties, Waves of Opportunities.”

The event aims to bring together policy makers and stakehold­ers in island and coastal regions to network effectively and to find common solutions for the overall development and sustainability of these regions. It would be hosted by the Department of Tourism and the United Nations World Tourism Or­ganization (UNWTO).

In a much earlier press conference, Lee Choon Loong, president and CEO of Discov­ery Mice, the Malaysian conference convenor, related that Cebu was chosen as host due to three strong points.

“First is the accessibility of the place to the participants due to the international airport. Second is the strong support of the public and private sectors to the industry. And third is the strong potential for case studies in marine pro­tection as an ecotourism destination,” he told a group of media writers at the Radisson Blu Hotel.

He added that Cebu is an important com­ponent of the Coral Triangle, the center of the center of the Visayas Sea which is host to the world’s largest collection of marine biodiver­sity species and coral life.

Loong also hoped for the delegates to learn and impart the knowledge gained from the in­ternational speakers to benefit their respective local situationers so as to reap long-term ben­efits from the event.

Tourism Asst. Secretary Ronaldo Canizal declared that the event also aims to promote socially responsible tourism to protect the environment, develop opportunities for rural tourism, and educate stakeholders to learn ru­ral practices.

He added that the idea is to make the destinations even more vibrant and spread and diversify the benefits of the products. According to him, the theme holds much relevance in our archipelago as they aim to educate the people on the protection of the resources.

Some of the plenary sessions would include topics like Management: Behind Marine Ecotourism Success Stories”, “Destination Development: Socio-Economic Value Beyond Beaches;” “Successful Ecotourism Marketing: Experi­ences is The Real Thing;” and “Coastal Com­munities: Eliminating Poverty through Sus­tainability.”

The event will also hold business to busi­ness sessions with various tour operators, ca­pacity building meetings, and a Cebu Declara­tion that encapsulates the sessions and outputs of the event.

Loong added that the conference will also include a technical day tour to Bohol, a prime world-class ecotourism site which boasts of such attractions as the Loboc River Cruise, the Chocolate Hills, the Cambuhat Oyster Farm, and the tarsier sanctuary.

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