THE Philippine Travel Agencies Association on Monday appealed to the government to reconsider completely closing the resort island and allow compliant establishments to remain open during its rehabilitation.
PTAA president Marlene Dado Jante said not all resort owners in Boracay were polluting the island or violating other environmental laws. He said they would be holding meetings with the Department of Tourism and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to air their side.
Jante believes the government will take into consideration their recommendations to solve the Boracay crisis, and especially because there are around 17,000 workers who depend on the island’s tourism for their livelihood.
“The PTAA has always been pushing for the growth of the country’s tourism industry because it positively impacts the lives of our countrymen. Loss of livelihood should never be an option,” Jante said.
The Tourism department has yet to reply to the PTAA’s appeal, but on Sunday Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo said her department was coordinating with the Department of Labor and Employment to address the possible job displacements on the island.
The PTAA is pushing to limit the shutdown to erring establishments, but Jante said the association was also ready should the government decide to temporarily close Boracay.
A number of hotels, resorts, restaurants and wellness centers in the country, including those in Boracay, are allied members of the PTAA.
The group’s other allied members include airlines, tourist transport operators, convention organizers and handicraft stores.
“With a lot of tourism destinations in the country that have been developed over the past few years, travel agencies have multiple options for client travel within the country especially during this summer season,” Jante said.
“We have survived financial crises and even disease outbreaks. Our members will be able to cope with this.”
The PTAA will send a team this month to inspect the facilities of their 18-member resorts in Boracay to guarantee their compliance with government regulations.
“We hold our members accountable to the highest standards in their operations,” Jante said.
“If there are infringements, we will demand that they correct them while also expecting an upgrade on their facilities and services.”
Jante said responsible tourism required all stakeholders, including their members, to take responsibility and implement actions that would ensure that destinations like Boracay remained sustainable.
“The PTAA has always stood up for the greater good of the country’s tourism industry,” she said. PNA