While it has greatly affected the local tourism industry, the ongoing pandemic should not be an excuse for not pursuing sustainability, Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat said during the virtual recognition of Women Champions of Sustainability hosted by The Conrad Manila.
The tourism chief added that sustainability, in fact, is critical in establishing the tourism industry of the future, which should be more resilient and “pandemic-proof.”
“Sustainability has always been at the core of the Department of Tourism’s (DOT) strategies, being part of the National Tourism Development Plan (NTDP). The DOT is pushing for tourism businesses with lower resource consumption and carbon emission impact,” explained Puyat.
To achieve its goal to rebuild a more resilient tourism industry for the country, she cited the various initiatives of the DOT to promote sustainable industry practices, such as the ANAHAW Philippine Sustainable Tourism Certification, a national green certification scheme developed with the GrAT Center for Appropriate Technology under the European Union (EU) technical assistance primarily for accommodation establishments in the country.
Developed in 2018, the ANAHAW certification aims to improve the efficiency of tourism establishments and direct the Philippine tourism industry into a more sustainable future.
The DOT also initiated the ANAHAW Awards in 2018, making it the local equivalent of the Asean Green Hotel Awards.
