Apo Reef Natural Park Ecotourism Management Plan 2015-2020

A major industry that has been utilizing the resources in Apo Reef is tourism. In fact, the major user-based funding source for the maintenance and management of the natural park comes from the park fees paid by the tourists that visit the area. It is a popular site for tourists, who bask in its fine white sand beaches, leisurely stroll along boardwalks within the mangrove area, or marvel at the extremely diverse coral species and other marine life that include sharks and sting rays (Libosada, unpublished).

However, there is an evident lack of a specific management plan that caters directly to sustainable tourism development and its related impacts. It should be noted that developing the ecotourism potential of the island is identified as one of the specific objectives indicated in the 2001 Apo Reef Management Plan.

Results of the biodiversity, socio-economic, cultural and institutional assessments conducted by MBCFI have been used to the development of the ARNP’s Ecotourism Management Plan.