DOT 7 advisory: Stop selling Boracay tours
The Department of Tourism (DOT) 7 has issued an advisory ahead of the impending closure of Boracay Island.
It reminded tour operators to stop selling tour packages to Boracay Island effective April 26 until six months later, or as soon possible.
DOT 7 Director Shalimar Tamano suggested they may market the region’s many tourist destinations or other places in the Philippines as alternative destinations instead.
The agency also reminded the accommodation sector to prepare or upgrade their tourist facilities to capture the anticipated tourist market that would have otherwise gone to Boracay.
Tamano said they should coordinate with the local tour operators on marketing their properties for possible bookings.
DOT 7 also requested that tourism officers expand and strengthen tourism stakeholders’ preparedness in their areas to cater to the mass segment of Boracay’s tourist market.
Tourism stakeholders in Cebu earlier said they are anticipating an influx of more guests this summer due to the six-month rehabilitation of Boracay Island.
“We expect full occupancy,” said Carlo Suarez, president of the Hotels, Resort and Restaurant Association of Cebu.
The temporary closure of Boracay Island sends a strong signal to the world of the country’s serious stance on tourism sustainability, a consultant of the DOT said.
Tourism advocate Consul Robert Lim Joseph said the sixmonth temporary closure of the country’s prime tourism island should be viewed as an opportunity that will have long-term positive effects on the country’s image in the global tourism sphere.
“(The closure) will surely affect business temporarily, but the world now knows that we are serious on our quest for sustainable tourism,” said Joseph, adding that he was glad Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo brought up the long-standing environmental issue of Boracay to the Office of the President.
Joseph added the Boracay closure has served as a wake-up call for resorts and other tourism establishments in other islands to comply with the country’s environmental laws.
“We can now see that resorts all over the country are fixing their own problems,” said Joseph, adding that it’s better this way way rather than wait for the government to call their attention.
Islands like Panglao and Siargao are now looking into tourism establishments’ environmental compliance, particularly on having sewage treatment plans.
Sumilon Island in the southern part of Cebu recently underwent a three-day coastal cleanup.
The temporary closure allowed the island to breathe and heal on its own.
Lapu-Lapu City has also stepped up its drive to contain coliform contamination, which will be ridding the shorelines of informal settlers.
Joseph said Boracay’s sixmonth rehabilitation has also paved the way for tourism stakeholders of neighboring islands to become more responsible and united in making sure the beaches and other natural resources are taken care of.
President Rodrigo Duterte first warned he would close the island last February, calling it a cesspool due to sanitation problems and illegal structures. /