The Pink Beach on Great Sta. Cruz Island in Zamboanga will soon get a facelift, according to Tourism Secretary Wanda Corazon Tulfo-Teo. DOT PHOTO
Zamboanga’s Great Sta. Cruz Island, recently named among the “21 Best Beaches in the World” by National Geographic, will get a facelift soon, said Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Wanda Corazon Tulfo-Teo.
The DOT secretary on Thursday announced that the facilities on the pink beach would be upgraded with additional cottages and more nature-based recreational activities.
READ: Zamboanga’s ‘Pink Beach’ among world’s best — National Geographic
Teo ordered DOT Region 9 Director Antonio Blanco to coordinate with Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) to assist in the upgrades.
“The planned development will highlight its conservation and preservation, it being a protected area. Nonetheless, the outcome should enable locals and foreign visitors alike to enjoy the island’s beauty but still strictly maintaining it as a day destination,” she said in a statement.
“We would like to attract genuine ecotourists as they take ‘responsible, ethical and sustainable tourism’ to heart,” she added.
Isla de Sta. Cruz, or the Great Sta. Cruz Island, was supervised by the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), DOT’s implementing arm for infrastructure, before it was turned over to the local government in 2011 under the City Tourism Office, Protected Management Unit.
Teo expressed elation over the inclusion of the island in National Geographic’s 21 Best Beaches in the World.
“We are so proud about this citation and happy about its very timely announcement which comes right after our visit in December when I had pushed for the island’s immediate improvement and development as an ecotourism destination,” the DOT chief said.
Nat Geo highlighted the island’s pink-colored sand in an online article. CBB/rga