MANILA – The Philippines will be hosting the first Global Farm Tourism Summit to be held from July 17 to 19 at the Summit Ridge Hotel in Tagaytay City.
Themed "Managing Climate Risks through Sustainable Farm Tourism," the event will put the spotlight on the fusion of smart farming and tourism, which is seen as a "solution to climate change."
"Very few realize that the first one to be affected by climate change are the farms. And yet, it is also the farm that is the solution to climate change," Dr. Mina Gabor, International School of Sustainable Tourism (ISST) president, said in a media conference last Thursday.
Vietnam, Thailand, and New Zealand have confirmed their participation in the summit, which will also be attended by local farmers, farm owners, and local government units.
"We want to learn from other countries as they want to learn from us," Gabor said.
Current Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat will keynote the three-day meet. She will explain the Department of Tourism's (DOT) direction based on Republic Act 10816, or the Farm Tourism Development Act of 2016.
Aside from climate-smart farming, the event will also highlight women empowerment and farming by millennials.
"A lot of the millennials are actually running the farm tourism now. They're marrying the technology and all the knowledge in Internet and digital marketing to push their farms, it’s exciting," expressed Gabor.
Locally grown agricultural products from partners and participating farms will also be showcased during the summit.
The Global Farm Tourism Summit is organized by ISST, DOT, and the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture or SEARCA.
