TUGUEGARAO CITY, Philippines- A hotel in Batanes was among 22 hotels and resorts from the Philippines which recently won in the Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN) Tourism Standards Awards.
With 11 others, Fundacion Pacita Batanes Nature Lodge in Basco, Batanes took home the ASEAN Green Hotel Award. It is the only hotel in Cagayan Valley region to have bagged the award.
Meanwhile, 11 hotels from the country were also given the ASEAN Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Events (MICE) Venue Award.
Three cities, namely: Davao City, Pasig City, and San Carlos City, Negros Occidental also clinched the ASEAN Clean Tourist City award for “maintaining beautiful, environment-friendly, and properly maintained spaces.”
The Basco hotel’s representatives and other awardees received their respective awards during the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) held in Chiang Mai, Thailand, on January 22 to 26.
The ASEAN Tourism Standards Awards is initiated by all 10 member-states to encourage each other to improve standards of tourism service providers, reach sustainable tourism services, and help each stakeholder-country in reaching international hotel standards.
The awards help the bloc achieve its vision in making the region known globally as a “Quality Single Destination.”
On Wednesday, January 31, Department of Tourism (DOT) acknowledged the awardees in a “simple rites ceremony” at the Diamond Hotel in Manila.
DOT Undersecretary Alma Rita Jimenez lauded the hotel-awardees and commended the “ever improving services of Philippine hotels” and called them as “assets in the country’s growing economy.”
“Our tourism partners like you are the backbone that make quality visitor experience tangible,” she said.
Meanwhile, DOT Office of Tourism Standards and Regulation Director Danilo Intong told the media that the recognition is “part of the ASEAN agreement on sustainable tourism development,” and “has evidently contributed to the region’s tourism.”
“It contributes a lot because a lot of people now are going green so they go for facilities with organic food, has clean and natural way of operating their facilities,” he added.
Meanwhile, DOT Region 02 said Batanes province contributed P336.7 million in visitor receipts of Cagayan Valley for 2016 alone.
As the region’s premium tourist destination, the island province also had a respectable 5.8% growth in tourist numbers in 2016 with 27,400. Northernforum.net