Ecotourism and Sustainable Travel - Essay Example

ECOTOURISM AND SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL FINAL PROJECT Ecotourism is form of tourism that is intended to provide towards the protection of the environment and it involve visiting regions of natural interest in countries that are in the developing process. The tour is based on a number of principles such as offering positive experience for the people visiting and their hosts, empowering the local people both financially and socially, creation of both cultural and environmental awareness and impacting positively on all areas of lives of the host nation.

The chosen country for this tour is the Philippines owing to the wide range of natural as well as beautiful resources that surrounds the country. The country is further endowed with rich cultural diversity which attracts many people of the world. The country is ranked one of the top biodiversity hotspots in the entire world due to the widespread plants and animals that have been identified as endangered species which are under threat of extinction (Buckley, 2004). The country formulated the National Ecotourism Strategy (NES) which had the goal of offering an integrated management plan aimed at the development of ecotourism in the country.

The strategy has created mechanisms aimed at developing ecotourism through the involvement of community initiatives as well as the active participation of the private sector. The driving force towards considering ecotourism in the Philippines is the widespread marketing of key ecotourism sites through online marketing websites that have been created specifically for the process. Examples of ecotourism sites in the Philippines include Lake Danao, Lake Sebu, Bohol, Agusan Mash, Mindoro among others (Lück, 2003).

Ecotour itinerary The sites chosen for the ecotour for the seven days are Donsol, Coron Island and Batanes Island. Day 1 Donsol Ecotour Arrival at Donsol from Manilla using Philippine Airlines Interaction at the Whale Shark Accommodation at Elysia Beach Resort Day 2 Breakfast Firefly River Tour Accommodation at Elysia Beach Resort Day 3 Breakfast Departure to Coron Island Arrival at Busuanga Airport Transportation and accommodation by Calamianes Expeditions & EcoTours Day 4 Breakfast A trip to Coron Wharf Boat trip to Lake Kayangan Accommodation at Calamianes Expeditions & EcoTours Day 5 Arrival at Batanes Island on board Philippines Airlines Tour to Song Song Ruins Visit to Oldest House (House of Dakay) Accommodation at Batanes Eco Day 6 Breakfast Hike at the Fountain of Youth Accommodation at Batanes Eco Day 7 Breakfast Tour to Vayang Rolling Hills Visit to Basco Light House Departure to Manilla Ecotour marketing plan The ecotour marketing plan is to assist in matching the available opportunities in the Philippines with the specific need of the Eco tourists.

The marketing plan will assist in marketing the available opportunities in order to receive funding, ensuring maximum satisfaction from the tour upon visitation of the sights and identification of threats and challenges that are likely to be experienced (Zeppel, 2006). Areas in the plan Geographical location- The main ecotourism sites are located along the coastal beaches of Philippines Age- The ecotourism is for all age groups. Gender-Both males and females are allowed to take part in the tour.

Education-The most favorable education level is college so as that they can engage in ideas and events. Occupation-Both students and working class members are to take part. Programs for the ecotourism The programs are geared towards development of key products to support the process, establishment of a national ecotourism fund, advocacy and education initiatives, development of key ecotourism sites in the country as well as clear monitoring and evaluation strategies (Alampay, 2005). References Alampay, R. B. A.

, Philippine APEC Study Center Network., & Philippine Institute for Development Studies. (2005). Sustainable tourism: Challenges for the Philippines. Makati City, Philippines: Philippine APEC Study Center Network (PASCN) and the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS. Buckley, R. (2004). Environmental impacts of ecotourism. Wallingford, Oxfordshire, UK: CABI Pub. Lück, M., & Kirstges, T. (2003). Global ecotourism policies and case studies: Perspectives and contraints. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters Ltd.

Zeppel, H. (2006). Indigenous ecotourism: Sustainable development and management. Wallingford: CABI.