Thousands join Lapu clean-up

Cebuano travel writer and community-based tourism advocate Boboi Costas will join other tourism professionals in the world when he presents his talk on ecotourism in the Philippine setting.

The Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Conference 2012 will run from Sept. 17 to 19 in Monterey, California, a destination noted for its pristine beaches surrounding marine sanctuaries, organic agriculture and vineyards, and redwood forests, which are examples of the destination’s abundant natural beauty and commitment to sustainability.

Costas, who is also the National Director for Project Seahorse Foundation for Marine Conservation (PSFMC), will share his experience in public and private sector collaboration and multi-stakeholder approaches to sustainability challenges and opportunities in tourism in the Philippines.

It will be moderated by Dr. Kelly Bricker, chair of The International Ecotourism Society based in Washington DC which invited him and organized the annual conference.

Costas developed the Bojo (Aloguinsan) Eco-Cultural River Cruise, arguably the only community-based sustainable tourism undertaking in Cebu today. He also conceptualized themed tours at The Farmhouse and at The Hermit’s Cove both in Aloguinsan. Currently, he leads the PSFMC team in establishing the first multi-use zoned marine protected area in Tañon Strait. These projects are all community-based and are fully funded by the local government of Aloguinsan.

While in the US, Costas will also study different approaches in marine conservation, cultural heritage tourism and ecolodge design. The study tour sessions will be handled by veterans on these fields.

Costas, who writes occasionally for Cebu Daily News, was awarded the 2003 Philippine National Tourism Award (Kalakbay). He was published in “Windward: Steering Community-Driven Projects for Environmental Protection, A Casebook of Asian Praxis,” published in 2006 by the Asian Institute of Management and the UNDP.

The ESTC is a one-of-a-kind industry conference promoting sustainability in tourism. This year’s conference will feature best practice examples, case studies and lessons, presented by key business leaders and industry experts from Australia, Canada, China, Chile, Germany, India, Kenya, Namibia, US and the Philippines.