Responsible Tourism

Wild Asia Responsible Tourism Initiative

  • Who Are We
    • About Responsible Tourism Initiative
    • Our Team
    • About Wild Asia
    • Get Involved
  • What We Do
    • Research & consultancy
    • Sustainability services for businesses
    • Portfolio
      • RT Events at ITB Asia
  • Awards
    • Responsible Tourism Awards
    • Ten Years | Transformational Tourism
    • Past Award Winners & Finalists
  • Resources
    • Responsible Tourism Map
    • Videos
  • Contact Us

El Nido Resorts – Finalist, Responsible Operator

FINALIST – 2015 Wild Asia Responsible Tourism Awards, Most Inspiring Responsible Tourism Operator

A series of resorts dotted along Palawan, on the western edge of the Philippines, El Nido Resorts uses native landscaping and indigenous plants to bring guests into the natural environment. Hands-on activities in the local community such as traditional fishing and heritage community tours give guests a unique opportunity to learn more about their beautiful surroundings.

El Nido Resorts adheres to a quadruple bottom line: financial profitability, environmental stewardship, community engagement, and organizational development to guide their responsible tourism mission. As a part of Ayala Land, Inc., El Nido Resorts is used as an example for replicating their sustainability record in other properties.

Located in a very biodiverse area, El Nido Resorts works hard to protect the delicate ecosystems surrounding the resorts. Resort facilities were built in one area to concentrated areas to minimise the environmental impact and were constructed utilizing local materials and native landscaping. Guest activities are also coordinated to prevent overcrowding in the local communities. Keeping their high-quality, low-density approach to tourism in mind, El Nido Resorts developed several programs to stimulate interactions between the local communities, guests, and the environment.

Their medical outreach program offers free health consultations in the El Nido town center once a week while their Be GREEN outreach takes brings their environmental training and advocacy programs into local schools once a quarter.  Every year the resort holds annual refresher, Be GREEN courses for the staff, which cover topics such as water conservation and energy and biodiversity while guides and activities coordinators are given extensive trainings in nature interpretation. Guests are also encouraged to participate in Be GREEN. During “Green Hour” talks and presentations are given during which guests are welcome to ask questions and present their own environmental initiatives.

Tours of nearby communities, excursions with traditional fisherman, and visits to local farms give guests of El Nido Resorts the opportunity to interact with and learn about the culture. Before community tours, local guides explain culturally-appropriate behaviour and encourage guests to share stories with the community members they meet. El Nido Resorts’ “Fishing with the Locals” activity is one of the most popular and partners guests with local fisherman to learn about traditional fishing methods and life in a coastal village.

El Nido Resorts also supports a number of foundations working on environmental and cultural preservation in the area including the El Nido Foundation, the Asian Conservation Foundation, the Malampaya Foundation, and the Ayala Foundation. Many guests who have visited the local communities through El Nido Resorts’ tours have started up their own scholarships or partnered with other area conservation and development organisations.

For more information about El Nido Resorts, visit their website: http://www.elnidoresorts.com/

Watch their video here

Share on Facebook Share
Share on TwitterTweet
Share on Google Plus Share
Share on Pinterest Share
Share on LinkedIn Share
Share on Digg Share

Categories: Awards, News, Stories Tags: awards, Finalist, Philippines

Posted on 08.09.15 by Reza Azmi

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

TwitterFacebookYoutube

Categories

  • Awards
  • Events
  • Highlights
  • News
  • Partners
  • Projects
  • Slides
  • Stories
  • Training
  • Uncategorized

Recent Posts

  • Call for speakers at Responsible Tourism Events at ITB Asia 2017
  • Presentations from Responsible Tourism Events at ITB Asia 2016
  • Responsible Tourism Events At ITB Asia 2016
  • Responsible Tourism Event Speakers 2016
  • Call for Speakers for Responsible Tourism Event at ITB Asia 2016

Archives

Tags

agri-tourism asia awards Bali benefit best practice Borneo Cambodia China Clinics community Community-based tourism conference conservation culture Diving ecotourism ethical tourism Finalist homestay india indonesia inspiring stories inspiring story islands ITB Asia ITB Asia 2013 laos Malaysia Nepal rainforest resource efficiency responsible tourism Responsible Tourism Events Slides Sri Lanka sustainable tourism talks Thailand tourism tour operators training Voluntourism wildlife Winner

Kuala Lumpur, Sabah, Siem Reap, Phuket, Taipei, London.

Regional Teams for Local Solutions

  • HOME
  • ACADEMY
  • PALM
  • BUILD
  • TOURSIM

Wild Asia © 2014. Building Solutions since 2003. Sign in