First Global Sustainable Tourism Council-GSTC Philippines National Forum

A key outcome of the GSTC National Forum was to launch various Sustainable Tourism Training Programs in key destinations of the country, as well as all the regions of the Philippines to help implement tangible actions that fulfill the globally recognized standards of sustainability best practices for destinations and the tourism industry. As a leader in the global effort to make travel and tourism more sustainable, GSTC executes conferences that address the most critical issues of the day in sustainable tourism with global thought-leaders. The conference seeks to synthesize best practices from the public and private sectors and drawing from academic research and the practical experiences of experts in tourism development and promotion.The objective of the Forum is not to offer a one-time exercise of reviewing what should be done; rather, we will work with the Philippine tourism industry, both public and private sectors, towards tangible and meaningful goals, focusing on the long-term success of the Philippines’ sustainable tourism actions that may be incorporated into the Department of Tourism Accreditation Standards. Based on the GSTC Criteria for Destinations and guided by practical insights by leading sustainable tourism experts, the GSTC National Forum introduced tailored curriculum based on the Philippines’ specific needs and goals, focused on supporting the national as well as regional destinations to implement tangible actions that fulfill the globally recognized standards of sustainability best practices, and may be incorporated into the DOT Accreditation Standards. We undertook a 2-day-long intensive and interactive training seminar, with workshop sessions offering a unique opportunity to gain an in-depth understanding of the GSTC Criteria and performance indicators. Incorporating case studies and best practice examples of sustainable tourism destinations, the seminar provided practical insights that will help participants make informed decisions on how to implement sustainability practices, and establish viable and actionable sustainable tourism policies and practices for inclusion into your DOT Accreditation Standards. Workshop sessions were also held diving the participants into two groups: Destinations and Hoteliers/Resorts/Business Owners, wherein each groups discussed and resolved issues in adopting and implementing sustainable tourism framework in their respective businesses/jobs. The impact is that all participants realized the importance of Sustainable Tourism learning, training and capacity building for stakeholders, both public and private. Participants also learned that in order to adopt and implement effectively, the understanding, cooperation and commitment to work together in this endeavor is imperative and critical. Most destination managers have already resolved to adopt Sustainable Tourism criteria and standards, while others requested for further training and capacity building. Stakeholders can request for follow up training and capacity building workshops in their respective fields: i.e. Destinations and/or Hotels/Resorts/Tour Operators/Businesses.