The Bojo River in Aloguinsan town is among the five eco-tourism destinations included in Cebu Tourism office’s “The Big 5” or the community-based eco-tourism destinations that it is developing and promoting.
FB GRAB OF The “Big 5” video teaser
Sugbo Turismo to roll out five southern towns as eco-tourism destinations
Five southern towns will be at the forefront of the provincial tourism office’s thrust to make Cebu a community-based eco-tourism destination.
Sugbo Turismo, Cebu’s provincial tourism office, will roll out “The Big 5,” which is a cluster of five destinations putting local communities as well as the conservation of natural and cultural heritage at the center of tourism development.
“It will level up the playing field of small-time players, especially local communities who are supposed to take care of their own local natural and cultural heritage,” Joselito “Boboi” Costas, Cebu provincial tourism officer, told Cebu Daily News about the benefits of the project to these five communities.
5 towns’ video teaser
The “Big 5” destinations are the Birding Tour and Nature Trek in Alcoy, Farm to Table Tour in Alegria, Bojo River Cruise in Aloguinsan, Heritage Walk in Boljoon, and Culinary Journey in Argao.
Costas shared a 1:28 minute video teaser of the project on his Facebook timeline last Saturday, which has since generated more than 47,000 views, 1,037 shares, close to 1,000 reactions, and more than 33 comments.
“Considering how the video was shared, I guess Cebuanos are very excited about it,” said Costas.
The five destinations were part of the list of potential eco-tourism sites proposed more than a year ago and after months of fine-tuning, the provincial tourism office will finally unveil the fruits of its labor.
“I want to emphasize though that these five sites are all community-driven and community-managed,” Costas said.
The International Ecotourism Society defines community-based tourism and community-based ecotourism as the type of tourism that, recognizes the significant social, environmental and economic impacts tourism can have, primarily focuses on tourism’s benefits to the local communities.
According to World Wildlife Fund International, community-based ecotourism takes the social dimension of eco-tourism a stage further, by developing “a form of eco-tourism where the local community has substantial control over, and involvement in its development and management, and a major proportion of the benefits remain within the community.”
Hurdles, opportunities
Costas said they faced many hurdles along the way since the level of skills and knowledge of frontliners had to be upgraded, but it was a challenge to gain local government unit support.
“Commitment from suppliers was weak. We got by. But until now, we are still tweaking some issues,” he said.
Costas said that in the end, he hopes this initiative will make everyone stop and notice that Cebu is not only about the beach and city tours.
He also cited the benefits of the initiative and why it could level the playing field for small-time players in these destinations.
“It will give more opportunities to rural people to own tourism enterprises, like catering, souvenir suppliers, even food suppliers, and owning homestay businesses,” he said.
PBCFI’s FB reaction
The Philippine Biodiversity Conservation Foundation, Inc. (PBCFI), in a Facebook post, said the project mixes people, wildlife, nature, and products as one whole biodiversity-friendly enterprise.
“Cebu Provincial Tourism Office once again showcases hidden treasures of the island, elevating experience to ensure sustainable tourism,” the group said.
Included in the featured sites are the key biodiversity areas, Alcoy-Boljoon Forests, and the endemic Cebu hawk-owl in the largest remaining forest of Cebu.