The annual competition by Green Destinations

A collection of Good Practice Stories by destinations from all around the world, telling their story, sharing their experience and successes and inspiring other destinations, businesses and travellers.

Green Destinations Southeast Asia is delighted to announce the launch of the 2023 Top 100 competition. Destinations from all around the region to include community based and rural destinations are welcome to tell their story, share their experience and successes to inspire the future of tourism leadership! We are here to support your nomination! Contact us for more information and/or clarification.

Click to access Call-for-Applications-Top100-2023-2.pdf

QUALITY COAST PROGRAM 

From Sustainable Tourism Development & Management To Awards & Certification of Beaches, Waterways and Islands

THE APPROACH TO SUSTAINABLE & COMMUNITY BUILDING BEACH MANAGEMENT

One of the main problems for the beach tourism business is competition and marketing
continuity. There are clear risks associated with not undertaking standardization to the conservation and protection,  beach safety and management in Asia – Pacific region. Many of these risks will not just affect the beach experience for residents and visitors, but also the ecological,  economic and social fabric of the region as whole.

There are many potential risks in maintaining the status quo and not undertaking a standards based approach to managing the beaches of Asia – Pacific region. Below are just a few examples:

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

•  Rapid loss of rich natural resources due to marine-related commercial activities, such as fisheries, inter-island transport, tourism, mining, etc
• Destruction, environmental degradation, loss of vital coastal habitats, marine biodiversity and shore water quality
• Escalation of climate change risks due to global warming
• Pollution and contamination of coastal waters due to misuse and abuse, lack of zoning and carrying capacity limits.

ECONOMIC IMPACT

• Lose out to neighbouring competition – the Mediterranean, as a region, provides a wide consumer choice on good quality beach holidays;
• Poor beach tourism development planning – insensitive landscaping, “views to the sea”, vistas and badly designed coastal engineering structures;
• Investment in the tourism product reduced;
• Negative portrayal in the media.

SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS
• Not meeting visitor and local expectations (based on customer satisfaction surveys etc);
• Health and Safety – accidents and illness (need for clear incident reporting procedures etc);
• Residents staying away from the beach – perceptions challenged;
• Reputation for criminal and nuisance activity.

HELPING THE PUBLIC & PRIVATE SECTOR TO SUSTAIN & MARKET ASIAN BEACHES & WATERFRONTS.

Grassroots growth towards green economy in a blue world. The Coron Initiative supported by SSTDI will be working on The Clean Blue program to implement the goals of the  “Manila Declaration – Global Protection Agreement (GPA)” – to strengthen the protection of global marine environment,  emphasizing coastal eco-resources as a key factor in the shift to a green economy. It also espouses the Integrated Coastal Resource Management Program (ICRMP) and the Coral Triangle Initiative  (CTI) to “promote the sustainable development and ensure the long term productivity of coastal resources while providing social services, lessening poverty in coastal communities as well as delivering basic infrastructure.”

Our Society for Sustainable Tourism & Development Inc.-SSTDI offers Capacity Building, Educational programs and Green Solutions and Services for public stakeholders: Destinations – LGUs and host communities; private stakeholders – resorts, hospitality, tour operators and businesses with Global Sustainable Tourism Council standards. Training programs and  solutions include Environmental Conservation and Compliance, Good Governance, Climate Resilience, to address global challenges of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): food security, poverty alleviation, environmental sustainability and climate resilience. Waste water (P.T. Amanaid Philippines) and Waste to Energy (W2E) Solutions as well as other green innovations are now offered to LGUs and tourism industry for law compliance.

For more information and assistance, contact us.