A balance between tourism development and natural asset conservation is vital in ensuring increased livelihood opportunities and sustainability, Department of Tourism (DOT) Christina Frasco said Monday.

“Our environment is the birthright of all Filipinos, therefore, it is incumbent upon us to ensure conservation of biodiversity,” Frasco told reporters on the sidelines of the National Ecotourism Summit 2024 in Pasay City.

The summit is a one-day event which seeks to bring government agencies, local government units and private tourism stakeholders to unite under the common framework of sustainability and regenerative tourism.

In addition to destination visits, the DOT encourages heritage and culture immersion, and interaction with local communities so that tourists could build deeper appreciation for ecotourism destinations.

“Ika nga (As the saying goes), we cannot protect what we don’t love, so we’re hoping with this movement of encouraging tourists to love the Philippines, we will have responsible tourism,” Frasco said.

“The tourists will leave the places better than they found them and this includes volunteerism programs, for example, when you go diving, you don’t just dive, you include activities such as picking up trash from coastlines and doing underwater cleanups and the like,” she added.

At the summit, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources turned over the chairmanship of the National Ecotourism Development Council (NEDC) to the DOT.

The NEDC is the primary policy-making body for ecotourism in the country.

It was established by Executive Order 111 and is composed of department secretaries, private sector representatives, and representatives of non-government organizations.

Citing that the longevity of tourist destinations is vital for livelihood programs, Frasco said the DOT, as chair of the council, will ensure the stringent implementation of the National Ecotourism Strategic and Plan 2024 to 2028.

The plan includes development and marketing of ecotourism products anchored in Filipino culture and values and promotion of ecotourism.

Resilient and climate change-responsive infrastructures and mechanisms for ecotourism sites will also be developed and managed under the plan. (PNA)