Green Tourism Practices among ECOPARKS in the First District of Oriental Mindoro

This study proposed a sustainable green tourism policy recommendation framework for eco-parks in the Naujan Lake Development Cluster composed of the municipalities of Naujan, Victoria, and Calapan as evaluated by the 232 eco-park stakeholders from local communities, local government units, and management offices of eco-parks. This study utilized exploratory research design and survey questionnaires for data-gathering. This determined the existence and extent of manifestation of green tourism practices among the eco-parks within NLDC. Results revealed an existing tourism practices in the NLDC however, the respondents viewed a generally moderate extent of manifestation of green tourism practices. Eco-parks should adopt the sustainability policy recommendation framework formulated as the output of this study. The proposed framework incorporates strategies focused on social, operational, educational, economic, and marketing dimensions. Key strategic highlights include investing in community engagements, cultural preservation, and equitable opportunities to promote inclusivity and preservation of local cultures and tradition. Encouraging sustainable practices, establishing certification programs and implementing monitoring and evaluation systems shall optimize resource utilization and minimize environmental impact. Furthermore, providing training programs, curriculum integration and mobilizing public awareness campaigns shall foster increased awareness the protection of the local environments. Securing people’s livelihood shall strengthen local economies through supporting local enterprises. Investment incentives and diversification shall fuel a robust local economy for the future. Lastly, through sustainable branding, collaborative marketing and truthfulness in sustainability representation, deeply-rooted tourism brand will earn respect from local and foreign tourists. In conclusion, this policy framework for sustainable tourism aims to create reasonable stability among strategic tourism development areas of social, operational, educational, economic, and marketing. By nurturing a concerted approach and taking serious sustainability measures, this policy will create a culture of accountability and resiliency in terms of environmental stewardship and preservation that benefits the local communities and future generations.