WELLNESS IN TOURISM: Local players in the travel industry have committed to protect the environment and preserve the nation’s cultural heritage in promoting tourism. The commitments are part of the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism drawn up by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). During the weeklong UNWTO International Conference on Tourism and Climate Change here, UNWTO secretary-general Taleb Rifai lauded the Department of Tourism (DOT) for pushing the promotion of this initiative. Fourteen tourism-related establishments signed on to the code for the first time. The Philippines is the second country in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, next to Indonesia, to have adhered to the code. Adopted in 1999, the code has only about 200 countries around the world as signatories, mostly from Europe and Latin America. With international tourism forecast to reach 1.6 billion arrivals by 2020, UNWTO members believe that the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism is needed to help minimize the negative impacts of tourism on the environment and on cultural heritage, while maximizing the benefits for residents of tourism destinations. Headlines ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr. has said their vision is for all Philippine tourism companies to commit to this program in the near future.

READ MORE: