25 NATIONS PUSH FOR GOALS OF AUTHENTIC ECOTOURISM | Motourismo

IETM Chairperson and former Tourism Secretary Dr. Mina Gabor leads the opening of the event, together with Philippine Department of Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, Department of Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista, Silang Mayor Alston Kevin Narna and the international delegates at the world's first green travel mart, held on March 29, 2023 in Silang Cavite.

Cooperation, hope, and earnest desire to share learnings to shape the future with a better world are prevailing sentiments and expectations in today's opening in the Philippines of the world's first green travel mart.

Ecotourism experts, entrepreneurs, travel professionals, environment protection advocates from 25 nations gather together for the five-day International Ecotourism Travel Mart (IETM) in Silang, Cavite. It is held up to April 2, 2023 at the lush grounds of the International School of Sustainable Tourism (ISST) and is open to the public from March 30 to April 2.

Appreciating locally made products on display at ISST Philippines were from left; DOT Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, DOT-CALABARZON Regional Director Marites T. Castro, IETM Chairperson Dr. Mina Gabor, DOTr Secretary Jaime Bautista, and Masaru Takayama, chair of the Asian Ecotourism Network.

Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco keynotes the opening with her call for sharing of best practices and continued learning to achieve tourism sustainability while the country presents its ecotourism offerings to a world that seeks out responsible travel. Silang Mayor Alston Kevin Anarna turns over the symbolic Silang key to Masaru Takayama, chair of the Asian Ecotourism Network, and AEN board members. Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista is also a guest speaker.

The IETM is organized by the ISST and is co-hosted by the Municipality of Silang, ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity, Department of Tourism, Department of Trade and Industry, Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc., Tourism Promotions Board, and the Southeast Asian Regional Center for  Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture.

This big and anticipated event has three major components, the Travel Mart, the Ecotourism Forum, and the Marketplace. 

Travel Mart exhibitors consist of travel agencies and eco-friendly hotels and resorts. The Marketplace is where attendees can buy local and sustainable products. It will feature the livelihood component where the recycling efforts of participating companies are shown. Moreover, the Department of Trade and Industry is bringing in all the regional groups to present their best products that are being done in consonance with environmental programs. 

 

The highlight of the event is the 2-day in-depth interactive forum with focus on Embracing Authentic Ecotourism, where participants can learn and expand their knowledge in sustainability and ecotourism practices. 

There are two finalists from the Philippines at the AEN's first Global Ecotourism Competition happening on April 1, awarding will follow right after. 

The ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) serves as the chair of the IETM Ecotourism Interactive Forum and will feature the success stories of its biodiversity conservation and livelihood programmes through an interactive exhibition. Joining the festivities are the Miss Earth 2022 queens as the newest additions to the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity's voices of biodiversity as part of the “We Are ASEAN Biodiversity” campaign.

As part of entertainment, there will be music presentations by ethnic groups from Indonesia, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, and Taiwan.