Nesie B. Volante
The Role of the Youth in Sustainable Tourism Development
Entry #1 Global Youth Forum 2017: Writing Contest for Sustainable Tourism
Baguio City has been successfully branded as the summer capital of the Philippines. The growing demand for its cool climate and beautiful mountain scenery has sustained its tourism growth. It is also the melting pot of different cultures, arts, and trade.
Mt. Yangbew or Jumbo is “the mountain of small caves and clouds” located at La Trinidad, Benguet.
The booming tourism industry paved the way for its rapid urbanization. The city which was originally designed to house a maximum of 30 000 inhabitants became a home to 317 000 people which was ten times its carrying capacity (NSCB, 2013). The city’s overdevelopment then resulted in water and land shortages, pollution, and road congestion.
During tourist seasons, the overpopulated city shares its natural resources with the tourists. This time, the residents are burdened with extreme water shortages as the city prioritizes its hotels and restaurants to meet tourist demand. In our case, during the Panagbenga Festival, the original MWFS (Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday) water schedule is usually reduced to W and F, making it harder for us to accomplish our day-to-day activities. Furthermore, the already problematic road networks and car-to-road ratio also worsen during tourist seasons as the visitors bring their own cars. The influx of vehicles also contributes to air, land, and water pollution.
As the discussion above shows, unsustainable tourism practices devastate the lives of the host community. There has to be a balance between a strong environmental protection program, social well-being, and economic development to achieve the optimum benefits of urbanization (President’s Council on Sustainable Development, 1997). This tells us that we cannot compromise natural resources and the host community’s quality of life in pursuit of economic development. The triple bottom line of sustainable tourism lies in its economic, social, and environmental components. Sustainability is crucial to minimizing the negative impacts of tourism. It also encourages cultural sensibility and makes a positive contribution to the conservation of natural and cultural heritage (Cape Town Declaration, 2002).
Marie Venus Tan, the director of DOT-CAR, encourages the locals and those who have adopted Baguio as their own to be the real stewards of reviving the city (Lacsamana, 2016). As young people, we can be stewards of sustainable tourism by participating in community-based programs like the Rev-Bloom Campaign. The Rev-Bloom campaign encourages the residents to plant trees and do vertical gardening (Lacsamana, 2016). This activity is important to strengthen the city’s resilience. Furthermore, host communities can implement initiatives, such as collecting environmental fees, to protect and maintain their natural resources. Let us consider Mt. Yangbew as an example.
Note: Winners of this “Writing Contest for Sustainable Tourism” get free registration and accommodation at the Global Youth Forum 2017, which will be held from February 20 – 21, 2017, at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center, Subic Bay Freeport Zone, plus other exciting prizes.
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