The government needs to ensure that environmental protection comes hand-in-hand with tourism promotion.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. made the remarks on Friday during the 36th Joint Meeting of the United Nations (UN) Tourism Commission for East Asia and the Pacific and the UN Tourism Commission for South Asia held in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu.

“For what good will any tourism effort be if it ends up destroying the local culture and ecology. This brings us to another important topic that we also need to address when it comes to developing our respective tourism industries, which is sustainability,” the President said.

“We need to adopt sustainability in our society and economy, especially in tourism,” he said.

“We must go green in the transformation of our tourism products and services as a solution to address climate change, resource preservation, and long-term industry sustainability.”

The President also called on participants of the meeting to continue working together.

“May your meetings be a platform for collaboration, discourse, and sharing of best practices on such crucial topics for this sector as we prepare for activities leading up to the World Tourism Day 2024,” the President said.

The chief executive added he is looking forward to seeing the outcome of the meeting.

“Let us continue to use our cultural capital to connect and sample experiences and flavors that are profound and transformative. Once again, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the UN Tourism for its leadership in advancing tourism,” the President said.

“I call on all the delegates, stakeholders, and partners here to contribute eagerly to the success of this gathering. May we celebrate our own cultural diversity and wonders as we build a brighter, better, and greener future for tourism here in Asia, the Pacific, and the world,” he added. | PND