EVIDENDES OF CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS ON ECOTOURISM

AT THE CARAMOAN, CAMARINES SUR

A Documentation Paper Presented to
DR. MILAGROS MAGSANOC
Philippine Women's University
Taft Avenue, Manila
In Partial Fulfillment of the Reuirements for the !u"#ect
Special Topic in Hospitalit
$y%
Aireen &' (lores
Decem"er )**+
Pa!t I
E"ECUTIVE SUMMAR#
The promoters of adventure or ecotourism have populari,ed slo-ans such
as% ./o visit the last paradises0 "efore they1ll "e destroyed "y tourist hordes'2
3cotourism is a -ro4in- niche mar5et 4ithin the lar-er travel industry, 4ith the
potential of "ein- an important sustaina"le development too' 3cotourism can "e
a le-itimate use of a country1s nature resources' It can "e an effective vehicle for
understandin- and respectin- native cultures and natural environments 6flora and
fauna7' 8o4ever, ecotourism has 4idespread environmental, social and
economic impacts and if it is not mana-ed properly, and is inconsiderate or
o"livious of environmental concerns, it can also destroy these invalua"le
resources' Accordin- to 9ericho4 6)**+7, ecotourism may "e a solution to the
tourism industry1s climate threat' (limate is an essential resource for tourism,
and especially for "each, nature and 4inter sport tourism, and the phenomenon
of -lo"al 4armin- already -ravely affects the industry and an increasin- num"er
of destinations'
:ne of its primary responsi"ilities of the Department of Tourism is to
promote sustaina"le tourism development and conserve the environment' The
Philippines is one "i- ecotourism destination and one of the top ); "iodiversity
spots in the 4orld in 4hich part of it is (aramoan, (amarines !ur, the country1s
"est 5ept<secret paradises and the site of five !urvivor 3ditions'
Tourism assets are mostly nature "ased 4here tourism sector must
rapidly respond to climate chan-e and pro-ressively reduce its -reenhouse -as
emissions' The relationship "et4een tourism and -lo"al 4armin- is a
parado=ical one% -lo"al 4armin- has "ecome a threat to tourism, yet tourism
remains a ma#or cause of -lo"al 4armin-'
The small to4n of (aramoan is located at the tip of (aramoan Peninsula,
a ru--ed place of land e=tendin- into the 4aters of the Maueda (hannel on the
>orth and 3ast and ?a-onoy /ulf on the !outh' There is little 5no4n a"out the
to4n (aramoan 4here it -ives @island hoppin-1 a ne4 meanin-' :cean
adventures for 5aya5ers, snor5el and scu"a dive to e=perience the diverse
marine life, tre5 and search for the eni-matic la-oon, roc5 clim" the limestone
cliffs, e=plore the caves or #ust star -a,e at ni-ht' Isolated from the rest of
(amarines !ur, it is no surprise 4hy Philippine's !ecret Paradise remains
une=ploited from commercial tourism'
(aramoan Islands is consists of splendid islands and islets and "oasts off
/otah IslandA$each "ein- one of the most visited' 3nticin- in its su"tlety B 4ide
open po4dery<4hite "eaches, e=otic islets, thic5 folia-e and crystal clear 4aters
that teems 4ith an under4ater paradise, (aramoan, (amarines !ur is indeed an
unspoiled, idyllic and "reathta5in- place to visit' This hidden paradise already
played hosts to five !urvivor editions, 6France, Tur5ey, Israel, $ul-aria and
!er"ia7' With five !urvivor editions done in (aramoan, this ma5es this to4n a cut
a"ove the other !urvivor sites' The "reathta5in- vie4s provided "y (aramoan
made it a perfect site for the !urvivor edition, a testament of this is the teaser that
4as released "y the !urvivor editions in other countries'
(aramoan is a five<hour trip either "y "us from >a-a (ity to !a"an-, !an
9ose and "y "oat to (aramoan or directly "y land throu-h the (aramoan
Peninsula Road, one 4ill "e amply re4arded 4ith "eautiful "eaches 4ith fine
4hite sand "eside ma#estic limestone and mar"le mountains as 4ell as a taste of
adventure in its e=otic islets 4ith coves near"y'
Accordin- to Municipal Tourism :fficer >orma Tendilla, the to4n 4as then
rustic and dull "ut "ecame an instant force in tourism scene 4orld4ide and
-enerated e=cellent ne4s to local fol5s since revenues are -enerated 4ith all
e=posure the to4n receives from promotional efforts of the provincial
-overnment' There is an overflo4 of tourist 4ith families and the local to4n fol5s
"enefited "y this influ= of mass tourism' More and more tourists are e=pected to
floc5 in to this hidden paradise to see5 one of a 5ind adventure and en#oy life in
an unusual yet very unfor-etta"le 4ay'
With this development that is ta5in- place in (aramoan more -overnment
pro#ects 4ere "uilt to further enhance tourism activities and improved e=istin-
facilities that are "ein- implemented to accommodate the -ro4in- tourist arrival'
A report of the Department of Tourism 6D:T7 said that the province posted a
4hoppin- +*),)*) tourists arrivals durin- the first si= months of this year' The
fi-ure earned for the province the distinction as the most<favored tourism
destination in the Philippines, eclipsin- CD other fa"ulous spots includin- former
top ran5ers (e"u, Puerto Princesa, $ohol, $oracay and Puerto /alera'
$ut can ecotourism "e a solution to -lo"al climate chan-eE 8o4 a4are
are the local tourism players and professionals in the to4n of (aramoan the
effects of climate chan-e to their tourism industry most especially their eco<
destinationsE
Therefore, this paper discusses the level of 5no4led-e of tourism
practitioners B the local tourism planners and promoters, mana-ers and
sta5eholders B on the aspect of ecotourism and its implications to the climate
chan-e, their su--estions concernin- possi"le actions that can "e ta5en to
reduce tourism's impacts on the 4orld climate and the actual actions to "e
implemented to resolve the issues'
Pa!t II
P!o$le%s an& Conce!ns
Identified pro"lems and concerns durin- the survey%