What Effect Has Tourism Had On Boracay?

Boracay Island, known as one of the world’s best islands, has faced challenges and deterioration due to rapid growth in tourism without proper planning. The island was closed by the government for six months and reopened with a cap on visitors. Despite concerns within the local tourism sector about stringent regulations, high taxes, and competition from other countries, Boracay Island is making a comeback after nearly two years of pandemic restrictions.

The Philippines has faced significant environmental and socio-economic challenges due to unsustainable tourism development. With the Philippines largely shut off from the outside world due to the coronavirus and domestic tourism tightly managed, Boracay has had a rare chance to recover. Changes in Boracay Island include sand erosion, coastal pollution, and environmental changes such as the sporadic felling of timber. Degradation of water quality caused by sewage from uncontrolled development is taking a heavy toll on the health of Boracay’s coral reefs, fisheries, and other ecosystems.

The progress of tourism development in Boracay has changed the island people’s lifestyle significantly, leading to pollution and job losses. About 36,000 people work in the regional tourism economy, which includes direct employment on Boracay island and in the wider region in food supply and waste management. The increasing influx of both international and local tourists, coupled with improper waste management and poor implementation of environmental policies, has led to the Philippines president restricting entry by outsiders to Boracay for half a century.

On the positive side, tourism has led to cultural exchange, improved the quality of life for local residents, and increased their pride in their culture.

Why Boracay became famous?

Boracay Island, Philippines, gained tourism in the 1970s due to filming locations for Nam’s Angels and Too Late the Hero. The island became popular as a budget destination for backpackers and by the 1990s, its beaches were acclaimed as the best in the world. However, in 1997, tourist arrivals dropped 60% due to coliform bacteria from poor sewage and septic systems. The Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA) installed a potable water supply system, sewage treatment plant, and solid waste disposal system, but environmental problems persisted.

In 2005, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo declared Boracay a Special Tourism Zone, giving the PTA administrative control over the island and coordinating with the provincial government of Aklan. The island’s environmental problems persisted until then.

How was the Boracay problem solved?

Boracay, a popular tourist destination in the Philippines, was temporarily closed to the public in April 2018 as part of the government’s efforts to rehabilitate and redevelop the island. The closure affected local livelihoods and in 2022, the Philippine government declared it successful in rehabilitating the island’s environment. Boracay’s rapid infrastructure development caused environmental problems, with Condé Nast Traveler magazine labeling it “the poster child for overtourism”.

Many businesses were discharging untreated sewer waste into the sea, and the amount of rubbish generated per person was more than three times that in Manila. President Rodrigo Duterte announced plans to close Boracay to tourists and conduct a rehabilitation in June 2018 to resolve the worsening sewage conditions. Duterte directed Environment secretary Roy Cimatu to resolve the environmental issues in the island. Boracay is part of the jurisdiction of Malay, Aklan province, and three of Malay’s barangays are located in the island.

What are the impacts of tourism?

Tourism has both direct and indirect effects on local communities, including environmental damage, wildlife destruction, deforestation, and water pollution. It also has positive and negative health outcomes for locals, such as increased health risks due to the density of tourists, disease transmission, road accidents, higher crime levels, traffic congestion, crowding, and stress. Residents may experience anxiety and depression due to risk perceptions about mortality rates, food insecurity, and contact with infected tourists.

However, tourism can also improve healthcare access, positive emotions, novelty, and social interactions. In 2019, around 1. 4 billion people visited another country, with tourist spending contributing about $1. 45 trillion to the global economy. Europe is the dominant origin and arrival region for tourists, accounting for 51% of arrivals and 48% of travelers.

Do you think there are changes in Boracay?

Boracay has seen positive changes since the 2018 shutdown, with the island’s iconic White Beach less bustling and stricter restrictions on food and drink consumption, drone flying, and soliciting. The buzz of watersports and pump boats has dissipated, and the main road thoroughfare has been widened and tidied. Buildings close to the road have been demolished or modified, and electric trikes have replaced heavy fume-producing predecessors. The island’s party atmosphere has dissipated, and the island’s main road has been widened and tidied.

How does tourism affect the Philippines?

Travel and Tourism in the Philippines now accounts for over one fifth of the country’s economy, highlighting its crucial role in supporting the nation and local communities. The sector has seen employment growth, surpassing 9. 5 million jobs, and both international and domestic visitor spending are expected to exceed previous records in 2024. This growth is attributed to the government’s efforts in enhancing tourism infrastructure, such as upgrading regional airports to alleviate congestion at Manila’s main airport and make travel more accessible. WTTC President and CEO, Julia Simpson, praised the government’s dedication to the sector.

Why did Boracay fail as a top tourist destination?

Boracay’s ecotourism attraction is significantly impacted by the flow of inadequately treated sewage into ground, surface, and coastal waters. To address this contamination issue, all sewage from residents and visitors must be treated to prevent nitrogen and phosphorus nutrient release into the ground and sea. International funding sources such as the Asian Development Bank, the Global Environmental Facility of the World Bank, and the European Union can provide funding for comprehensive pollution reduction programs.

Coral reefs are the most nutrient-sensitive ecosystems, so all land-based sources of nitrogen and phosphorus should be recycled on land. Currently, sewage discharged from the outfall has nutrient levels that are thousands of times too high for healthy coral reefs, promoting the intensive growth of algae. Limestone soils, like those on Boracay, are severely nutrient deficient, so recycling of nutrients will also make the land more productive.

Efficient methods should be implemented to convert waste nutrients in sewage into fertilizer and clean water that can be used for irrigation and toilet flushing. Effluent waters can be readily processed and purified to be of drinking quality. Due to the crowded nature of Boracay’s flat land, methods that use little space are needed.

Wastewater gardens are one such technique that can remove almost all the nutrients in wastewater effluents and produce lush and beautiful gardens full of flowers or other useful plants. These gardens must be managed properly to ensure the plants take up the maximum amount of nutrients.

The Boracay sewage system is overloaded with sewage and cannot treat it all properly, especially during rainy seasons. Wastewater gardens can be small and efficient, need not take up much area, and can be a tourist attraction due to the birdlife they attract. They often trickle through lined underground gravel beds, preventing contamination of groundwater and surface waters while producing great masses of useful plants from the fertilizer.

Bill Wilson, a California-based designer with nearly 20 years of experience in designing systems worldwide to recycle and purify water on scales from individual households to entire large cities, is one of the best designers of such systems.

What is the impact of tourism in Boracay?

The tourism industry in Boracay has been demonstrated to exert a considerable positive influence on the local economy, encompassing aspects such as economic expansion, job creation, and the advancement of local enterprises and infrastructure.

Has Boracay improved?

Boracay’s rehabilitation has been praised by various groups, including the Oxford Business Group, as a potential way to establish an environmentally conscious tourism culture in the Philippines. The restoration of Boracay’s environmental integrity is nearing completion, with 81 commercial and residential establishments demolished, 83 structures affected by the 12-meter road easement, and two wetlands cleared. Water quality in White Beach and Bulabog Beach has improved.

Additionally, flooding along the island’s main road has been addressed through the installation of a new drainage system by the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA). The system, which costs PHP1. 2 billion and involves five projects and several pumping stations, is 50-percent complete as of 2021.

What is the biggest problem in tourism in the Philippines?

The Philippine tourism industry is confronted with significant challenges pertaining to sustainability, inclusivity, and management, particularly with regard to the implementation of the mandatory accreditation system for primary tourism enterprises (PTEs). This hinders the industry’s capacity for development and growth.

Why is Boracay a tourist attraction?

Boracay, a top island in the Philippines, is known for its beautiful beaches, powdery white sand, crystal-clear waters, and stunning sunsets. It has won multiple awards, including the Asia Category in Conde Nast Traveler’s Best Islands in the World 2019 Readers Choice Awards in 2019 and its Top 10 island status in 2020. Boracay offers numerous exciting activities such as swimming, island-hopping, diving, snorkeling, parasailing, and kayaking.

What are the 3 main impacts of tourism?

Tourism impacts can be categorized into economic, social, and environmental. The UNWTO International Tourism Highlights report revealed a 1. 4 billion increase in international tourist arrivals in 2019, driven by a strong global economy, a surge in the travel-ready middle class, technological advances, and more affordable travel costs. Export earnings from tourism reached a staggering USD 1. 7 trillion, demonstrating its role as a major economic engine of growth and development.

Europe has traditionally been the region with the highest tourism dollar spending, followed by Asia and the Pacific (USD 435 billion), the Americas (USD 334 billion), Middle East (USD 73 billion), and Africa (USD 38 billion). Asia has seen the strongest growth in both arrivals and spending, while Africa experienced a +17% growth in arrivals, indicating a new interest in traveling to the continent.