The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
A French businessman and former president of the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) has urged fellow businessmen to invest in developing tourism in the country’s bays, since they don’t get as much attention as its beaches.
At a press conference in Makati City on Jan. 13, Hubert d’Aboville, founder and president of Puerto Galera Most Beautiful Bay Inc., said there are some Philippine bays that deserve to be part of the Most Beautiful Bays in the World club.
One bay already in that club is Puerto Galera Bay in Oriental Mindoro province, which joined in 2005.
“We should have two to three more bays (included) in (the) Most Beautiful Bays (club),” d’Aboville said. He named Bacuit Bay in El Nido town, Palawan province, as one of them.
As a tourist destination, Palawan is best known for the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River and the Tubbataha Reefs National Park, both United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) World Heritage Sites. It is also known for its pristine beaches.
Philippine bays are expected to be highlighted when the country hosts the 11th World Congress of the Most Beautiful Bays in the World from Feb. 1 to 6. It has “Adapting to Climate Change” as its theme.
Established by French tourism officers Michel Met, Hervé Laigo and Bruno Bodard in Berlin, Germany, in March 1997, the Most Beautiful Bays of the World club—formally known as the Club Les Plus Belles Baies Du Monde—is headquartered in the French city of Vannes.
According to the Most Beautiful Bays in the World website, thirty-eight bays from 25 countries have been admitted to the club since its formation. France has the highest number of bays on the list, with seven, followed by Vietnam, with three.
Membership to the Most Beautiful Bays in the World club is not for life. Each member-bay will have to be inspected first by representatives from other member-bays before they could find its membership worthy of renewal.
Representatives from at least 18 member-countries have confirmed their attendance to next month’s congress. They are expected to share the problems facing their bays, as well as the solutions they found, during the event.
D’Aboville, who was ECCP president from 2007 to 2012, said being a member of the club will give a lasting good impression to not only the municipality or region where the bay is located, but also the entire country, especially in tourism, which provides jobs to locals.
He, however, noted that taking the first step to get involved in this matter would require efforts from both the public and private sector.
“There should be a team that is willing to take the challenges of the world today to fight pollution and make sure that the bay remains clean and beautiful,” d’Aboville said.
“They should maintain the quality of the bay (in the coming) years, because it is part of our efforts to adapt to climate change,” he added.
D’Aboville also said each Filipino has the responsibility to promote tourism and protect the environment.
“Each of us have a responsibility to win the hearts of the foreigners, because they travel and spend a lot of time, energy and money just to come visit us. But what is most important is that we save this treasure [the bay]” he said. ALVIN I. DACANAY WITH PNA