The Department of Tourism (DOT) urged hotels and resorts to get the agency accredited for the support that can advance their transition to more sustainability.

Tourism Minister Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said that one of the benefits of DOT accreditation includes access to technical tools and experts on sustainable tourism.

“DOT will continue to focus on promoting sustainability to the public, educating them on how to be sustainable tourists, while encouraging tourists to support accredited businesses with good green practices,” she said in a statement timed to World Environment Day was published on June 5, 2021.

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The DOT cited the Crimson Hotel and Spa Mactan in Cebu, the Nurture Wellness Village in Tagaytay, the Club Balai Isabel in Batangas, and the Daluyon Beach and Mountain Resort in Palawan as examples of facilities with good practice in terms of waste management and reduction, energy consumption and water consumption.

These institutions have received the Anahaw Philippine Sustainable Tourism Certification Awards, which the DOT developed in 2018 with technical support from the European Union’s GRAT. It’s the local equivalent of the ASEAN Green Hotel Awards.

DOT said that Anahaw certification gives a company a competitive advantage because traveler awareness is high.

“Anahaw certification is one of our ways to ensure that we provide excellent service to our tourists without endangering our natural resources and the community. Our tourists are more likely to support tourism companies that care about the environment, ”said Puyat. (NRZ, PR)

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