Climate agency to tourists: Maintain cleanliness

MANILA, Philippines — With millions of local and foreign tourists coming to the country’s renowned beaches this summer, a climate change official is calling for stricter monitoring and implementation of waste management protocols in tourist destinations.

“While we are pleased that our tourist destinations continue to attract foreign and local visitors, we in the commission appeal to our tourists and residents alike to maintain cleanliness and only leave trash in designated locations,” Climate Change Commission (CCC) Commissioner Albert dela Cruz said.

“As embodied in our mandate of formulating policies for climate action through the protection of our environment, creating a culture of sustainable tourism begins with engaging others on responsible travel and involving more people to act for the conservation of our natural wonders,” he said.

Data from the Department of Tourism (DOT) showed that at least 1.75 million people visited Boracay last year, almost five times more than the 330,622 total visitors in 2021.

In February, foreign diving enthusiasts in Malaysia awarded the Philippines as the best diving destination, beating out Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan and Maldives during the Diving, Resort and Travel Show, considered as the largest diving expo in Asia.

The DOT is targeting 4.8 million international arrivals and pre-pandemic domestic tourism levels this year under the National Tourism Development Plan 2023-2028 unveiled last month.

Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco earlier described 2022 as a fruitful year for the Philippine tourism industry, underscoring that last year’s international arrivals reached 2.65 million, exceeding the initial target of 1.7 million foreign visitors.