The Department of Tourism (DOT) is calling all hotels and resorts in the country to "go green" and adopt sustainable practices in time with the celebration of the 2021 World Environment Day.
In a statement, DOT Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat urged local tourism enterprises to seek accreditation from the agency n order to receive assistance in its rapid adoption of sustainable practices.
"Reviving local economy and creating livelihood is DOT's current priority. However, the pandemic has allowed us to be more persistent in our goal to instill accountability in businesses to become more sustainable," Puyat said.
According to Puyat, DOT-accredited establishments get assistance in running a tourism enterprise and also have access to technical tools and experts that can help them make the transition to going green.
"DOT will continue to focus on marketing sustainability to the public--educating them on how to be sustainable tourists while also encouraging tourists to support accredited businesses that have exemplary green practices," Puyat added.
As part of efforts to promote sustainable tourism, the DOT has been establishing programs such as its Save Our Spots (SOS) campaign launched in 2019 which aims to inspire the public, businesses, and communities to have a long-term view on tourism.
"The DOT has been working on integrating sustainable tourism principles in its projects and policies. We have been teaching our tourists and tourism operators to do the small things we can do to preserve our tourism destinations," the tourism chief said.
The Department is also conducting community-based training for the tourism workforce including boatmen, masseuses, and souvenir vendors, among others, to provide them with technical skills and knowledge that will help them do their jobs better.
Food waste management seminars are also offered to accommodation and restaurant owners and culinary training that aim to reintroduce heritage or local dishes to tourists.