SUBIC FREEPORT Zone: The importance of protecting the environment to sustain the local as well as the global tourism industry was the focus of a four-day ecotourism festival that ended here recently. International delegates from 10 countries including the United States, Costa Rica, Jordan, Japan, Thailand and Australia spoke on a variety of topics that included general tourism, architecture and ecotourism site development. “At the heart of sustainable tourism is protection of the environment,” Villar said, who has been a long-time advocate of environmental protection. “Today, we are focusing our efforts on establishing the Las Piñas-Parañaque Critical Habitat and the Las Piñas Wetland Park as eco-tourism destinations,” Villar said. The 2017 Subic Ecotourism Festival was organized by the Subic International School for Sustainable Tourism headed by Mina Gabor, in celebration of the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development.

Source: Manila Times June 05, 2017 13:41 UTC