DFA Officials Engage in Sustainable Tourism Workshop

OUMAIER personnel including Undersecretary Carlos D. Sorreta and Assistant Secretary Eric E. Tamayo with Dr. Mina Gabor and Ms. Susan Cardenas.(DFA-OUMAIER Photos)

PASAY CITY, 19 October 2022 - Personnel from the Office of the Undersecretary for Multilateral Affairs and International Economic Relations (OUMAIER) participated in the Workshop on Sustainable Tourism hosted by the International School of Sustainable Tourism (ISST) on October 8-9, 2022 at the ISST compound in Silang, Cavite.

The two-day program included a lecture on sustainable tourism concepts, discussions on the conditions and potential of sustainable tourism in the Philippines, as well as excursions to sustainable tourism spots near the training area.

Dr. Mina T. Gabor,  former Secretary of the Department of Tourism and the President of ISST, officially opened the workshop with an overview of the principles, aims, impact, and the economics of sustainable tourism. According to  Dr. Gabor, the objectives of sustainable tourism goes beyond the profit-driven approach of conventional tourism. She mentioned the following items as key considerations when developing sustainable tourism offerings: economic viability, local prosperity, employment quality, social equity, visitor fulfillment, local control, community well-being, cultural richness, physical integrity, biological diversity, resource efficiency, and environmental purity.

The other part of the lecture was facilitated by Ms. Susan Cardenas, a sustainable tourism advocate and the co-founder of Asian Ecotourism Network. She discussed the core offerings of the “Green Destination Program”, a program that confers Awards and Certification to destinations that adhere to the “Green Destination Standards” and the “Good Travel Program”. Ms. Cardenas encouraged more businesses, institutions, and local government units to apply for certification under the Green Destination Program.

Participants were treated to wild bird watching and a visit to the cultural and sustainable tourism places in Silang, Cavite on the second day of the workshop.

ISST will be hosting the first International Ecotourism Travel Mart (IETM) on March 28 to April 1, 2023. The IETM will be the first green travel mart and fair that is presented by the Asian Ecotourism Network. END

Assistant Secretary Gina Jamoralin and Dr. Mina Gabor during the site visit and preparatory meeting. Others in the photo are Assistant Director Enrik Revillas, Sinon Mallannao, Ronald Mantaring, Lorelyn Palma, and Merlita Delmundo.  (DFA-OUMAIER Photos)

Assistant Secretary Gina Jamoralin and Dr. Mina Gabor during the site visit and preparatory meeting. Others in the photo are Merlita Delmundo, Lorenzo Manalang, and Assistant Director Enrik Revillas. (DFA-OUMAIER Photos)