Geotourism and the Bohol Island Geopark

by Alan S. Cajes, PhD

Photo taken from https://geopark.bohol.gov.ph/en/geosites/

This article basically attempts to answer the question: what form of tourism is appropriate for the Bohol Island UNESCO Global Geopark?

On 24 May 2023, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Executive Board designated Bohol Island as the first UNESCO Global Geopark of the Philippines, thanks to the efforts of the various proponents and stakeholders. A UNESCO Global Geopark is a single, unified geographical area “where sites and landscapes of international geological significance are managed with a holistic concept of protection, education and sustainable development (UNESCO)”. 

In the case of the Bohol Island UNESCO Global Geopark, it covers “8808 square kilometers of land and surrounding lush marine protected areas (UNESCO)”. The covered geosites include the following: caves, sinkholes and cone karst, including the Chocolate Hills; Danajon Double Barrier Reef; uplifted marine terrace in Maribojoc and Loon; rupture site in Inabanga; Alicia Schist; springs; waterfalls, etc.

For the geosites, the appropriate form of tourism is geotourism, a form of tourism “that sustains or enhances the distinctive geographical character of a place—its environment, heritage, aesthetics, culture, and the well-being of its residents (National Geographic). Geotourism adheres to 13 principles (see below), including the following: adherence to the principles of the World Tourism Organization’s Global Code of Ethics for Tourism and the principles of the Cultural Tourism Charter established by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS). 

Article 2.4-2.5 of the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism are particularly instructive:

• Article 2.4. Tourism infrastructure should be designed and tourism activities programmed in such a way as to protect the natural heritage composed of ecosystems and biodiversity and to preserve endangered species of wildlife; the stakeholders in tourism development, and especially professionals, should agree to the imposition of limitations or constraints on their activities when these are exercised in particularly sensitive areas: desert, polar or high mountain regions, coastal areas, tropical forests or wetlands, propitious to the creation of nature reserves or protected areas;
• Article 2.5. Nature tourism and ecotourism are recognized as being particularly conducive to enriching and enhancing the standing of tourism, provided they respect the natural heritage and local populations and are in keeping with the carrying capacity of the sites

A relevant ICOMOS principle states: “In any case, with the future in mind, it is the respect of the world, cultural and natural heritage which must take precedence over any other considerations however justified these may be from a social, political or economic point of view.”

Given the above principles, it is imperative that a third party evaluation study be done (Principle 13) to determine the state of the geotourism areas and destinations, as well as propose the strategies or ways forward. Lest we forget, the UNESCO Global Geoparks have four years before a thorough re-examination will be done. The review will determine if the UNESCO Global Geopark:

• Still fulfills the criteria and its status will be extended to another 4 years (green card);
• No longer fulfills the criteria and appropriate steps must be undertaken in a period of 2 years (yellow card);
• Will lose its status as a UNESCO Global Geopark should it fails to fulfill the criteria within 2 years after getting a yellow card (red card).

 Other possible immediate actions:

1. Ensure that the Protected Area Management Board is functional and meets regularly;
2. Establish some kind of multisectoral Geotourism Council to include the concerned residents, tourist associations, tour operators, tourism industry representatives, etc. to forge consensus on allowable, prohibited or restorative acts in the covered areas;
3. Tourism industry to pursue industry self-regulation to prevent violations from its industry players;
4. LGUs and concerned agencies to inform, educate and communicate to the stakeholders the honors, benefits and accountabilities of being a UNESCO Global Geopark, as well as properly enforce their respective mandates;
5. Identify the geosites (e.g., which hills are part of the Chocolate Hills), put up easy to spot and read billboards or markings, and engage the affected stakeholders in a “Binol-anon” way of conversation;
6. For the Provincial Government of Bohol, consider re-certification under the ISO 14000 (Environmental Management System) to encourage tourist establishments to conform or get certified under relevant ISO standards, such as ISO 18065:2015 for tourism and related services.

 The Geotourism Principles

1. Integrity of a Place - Enhance the geographical character of the destination by developing and improving it in ways distinctive to the locale. Encourage market differentiation and cultural pride in ways that are reflective of natural and cultural heritage.

2. International Codes - Adhere to the principles embodied in the World Tourism Organization’s Global Code of Ethics for Tourism and the principles of the Cultural Tourism Charter established by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS).

3. Community Involvement - Base tourism on community resources to the extent possible, encouraging local small businesses and civic groups to build partnerships to promote and provide a distinctive, honest visitor experience and market their locales effectively. Help businesses develop approaches to tourism that build on the area’s nature, history, and culture, including food and drink, artisanship, performance arts, and the like.

4. Community Benefit - Encourage micro- to medium-size enterprises and tourism business strategies that emphasize economic and social benefits to involved communities, especially poverty alleviation, with clear communication of the destination stewardship policies required to maintain those benefits.

5. Tourist Satisfaction - Ensure that satisfied, excited geotravelers bring new vacation stories home and send friends off to experience the same thing, thus providing continuing demand for the destination.

6. Conservation of Resources - Encourage businesses to minimize water pollution, solid waste, energy consumption, water usage, landscaping chemicals, and overly bright nighttime lighting. Advertise these measures in a way that attracts the large, environmentally sympathetic tourist market.

7. Protection and Enhancement of Destination Appeal - Encourage the destination to sustain natural habitats, heritage sites, aesthetic appeal, and local culture. Prevent degradation by keeping the volume of tourists within maximum acceptable limits. Seek business models that can operate profitably within those limits. Use persuasion, incentives, and legal enforcement as needed.

8. Planning - Recognize and respect immediate economic need without sacrificing long-term character and the geotourism potential of the destination. Where tourism attracts in-migration of workers, develop new communities that themselves constitute a destination enhancement. Strive to diversify the economy and limit population influx to sustainable levels. Adopt public strategies for mitigating practices that are incompatible with geotourism and damaging to the image of the destination.

9. Land Use - Anticipate development pressures and apply techniques to prevent undesired overdevelopment and degradation. Contain resort and vacation-home sprawl, especially on coasts and islands, so as to retain a diversity of natural and scenic environments and ensure continued resident access to waterfronts. Encourage major self-contained tourism attractions, such as large-scale theme parks and convention centers unrelated to character of place, to be sited in needier locations with no significant ecological, scenic, or cultural assets.

10. Market Diversity - Encourage a full range of appropriate food and lodging facilities, so as to appeal to the entire demographic spectrum of the geotourism market and so maximize economic resiliency over both the short and long term.

11. Interactive Interpretation - Engage both visitors and hosts in learning about the place. Encourage residents to show off the natural and cultural heritage of their communities, so that tourists gain a richer experience and residents develop pride in their locales.

12. Market Selectivity - Encourage growth in tourism market segments most likely to appreciate, respect, and disseminate information about the distinctive assets of the locale.

13. Evaluation - Establish an evaluation process to be conducted on a regular basis by an independent panel representing all stakeholders' interests, and publicize evaluation results.

Disclosure: the author is a Bol-anon by consanguinity, a long time resident of Batuan in Bohol, an associate member of the National Geographic and the International Ecotourism Society, and not a recipient of any funding or support in writing this article.