Inns & outs

THE INFORMATION campaign of the De partment of Tourism – CAR on the pro gressive accreditation systems for tourism businesses last week turned up to be much eventful, especially since the old ‘pillars’ of the Cordillera’s tourism industry were present – inciting the other attendees to submit their grumbles on the present developments and directions of our tourism industry. One participant from the Inns (accommodation establishments) pointed out the difficulties of the industry – solid waste management and environmental degradation, traffic, competition, and water problems. Another, rehashed a long-time proposal of decongesting Baguio City, or investing ‘outside’ the center…to prevent, as they say, the scenario of becoming the next Boracay.

Ironically, we had our seminar on a ‘new’ hotel with more rooms than long-established hotels that I frequent. Ironically also, a number of studies would suggest that accommodation establishments are top producers of wastes. This is because most guests in hotels are clients of a ‘throw-away culture’ – takeout food, convenience stores shopping, etcetera. In another study, hotels are also blamed for water shortages. It was found out that a usual room for two uses an average of 13-15 liters for flushing and 2230 liters for shower and sink (not even accounting bathtub use). This is twice or thrice the average water use of a typical household. Imagine hundreds of rooms, and imagine thousands. Then imagine the community needs for water. That is how urban managers and leaders should imagine what we call a “carrying capacity”.

Since the general concern delved on the standards for accreditation, big players raised the issue on the increasing number of transient homes – some which are admittedly below the standards of accommodations. As a former backpacker who looks for cheap stays, and in these trying