On August 11 to 13, 2017 at Central Square, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippine’s National Youth Council and the SSI Group, Inc. are holding the Green Wanderer Travel Fair, where traveling meets sustainability and awareness. A project led by the National Youth Council of WWF-Philippines, Green Wanderer will be offering sustainable travel options—from products made by local artisans to eco-tourism destinations with uniquely curated itineraries for the curious, green traveler.
The 3-day affair will be the venue for exhibitors like El Nido Resorts, GetGo Rewards by Cebu Pacific, Skyjet Airlines, Reef PH, Lagalag, Banana Peel, The Circle Hostel, Daluyon Beach and Mountain Resort, Philippine Tour Operators Association (PHILTOA), Travel Factor, Locally PH, Green Wanderer Line, and WWF-Philippines. The exclusive and limited-edition Green Wanderer merchandise will be on sale during the fair; and a portion of the proceeds, together with the contributions of all exhibitors, will be donated to WWF Philippines. All Mastercard cardholders will also receive exclusive offers from Stores Specialists, Inc. brands located at Bonifacio High Street and Central Square.
A travel fair like no other, Green Wanderer will have various activities, along with special promos and raffle prizes for guests including a special package and an irresistible 2-night + 1-night free offer from September 14-17, 2017 from El Nido Resorts. Overnight stays at all The Circle Hostel branches (Zambales, La Union, and Baler) and at Palawan’s Daluyon Beach and Mountain Resort are also up for grabs, as well as the chance to travel to scenic Siargao or Batanes via Skyjet Airlines. Cebu Pacific will also be distributing GetGo cards, while existing card holders can rack up additional points, and get 5,000-10,000 GetGo points plus other goodies from GetGo Rewards. On top of these, Cebu Pacific will raffle off a roundtrip ticket to a local destination.
Get a glimpse of renowned photographer Scott “Gutsy” Tuason’s travel experiences focusing on underwater photography and ocean wastes through breathtaking photographs showcasing the beauty of our marine assets and the need to protect them. Bring out the nature lover in you and get educated on basic mountaineering with Lagalag, and get the chance to win Trekker socks, Lagalag Pride shirts and Lakambini tank tops that you can use on your future hikes. Amp up your outdoor style as Reef PH offers Reef Caps and Reef backpacks as part of the raffle during the festivities. Take home nice pairs of Banana Peel Earth Hour glow-in-the dark slippers for your planned beach trips.
Elevate your culinary taste and join Clang Garcia as she gives a talk about culinary heritage through a live demonstration with food tasting using sustainable ingredients from Philippine Harvest and cookware by Tefal. Green thumb or not, learn about the benefits of growing your own food and get the chance to win DIY garden kits from Qubo.
The 3-day fair will also showcase local products from Aging’s Food Delight and Willy Bee, Man on the Moon coffee, Tsaa Laya, Cocotos Estate Mount Apo coffee, Costales Nature Farms, Below 35: smashed and rolled ice cream, Kajuyan, 182 Casa Lontoc, CrackleChips, Ritual, Balangay’s Best, Moulinet Chocolat and more, selected by the Department of Agriculture.
A sustainability forum, which will be moderated by CNN-Philippines’s Mitzi Borromeo, will also be held on August 12, 9:00 am to 11:00 am, in one of Central Square’s theatres to shed light on the current status of our planet in relation to sustainable travel and ecotourism. Panelists include Anton Diaz of Our Awesome Planet and Mayor Josephine Alcantara-Cruz of Donsol, among others.
As the Chairperson of WWF-Philippines National Youth Council, Alexa Cancio highlights the importance of sustainable living. “Young people, having access to various information particularly through social media, are aware of the different social and environmental issues taking place all over the world. We believe that many of these issues can be addressed on the individual level by improving the way we live, which is why our council of eight members felt sustainable living would be the most appropriate message to push not just with young people, but with the Philippine society in general.”
She adds, “Right now, there isn’t any common online platform to find all the sustainable travel options in the Philippines, which is why it is timely to organize a travel fair like Green Wanderer that will house various sustainable options for the people.”
Another active green traveler and WWF-Philippines National Youth Council member, Nikki Huang believes that along with transport, accommodations have the biggest impact on our ecological footprint when traveling.
“The most interesting feature of the Green Wanderer travel fair is that it is green. Travel fairs are common, but WWF wanted to put a twist on this one. It’s as much a testament to sustainability and conservation efforts in the Philippines as it is a fun tourism experience. Travel takes on a whole other level of significance when done in a way that not only reduces harm, but is beneficial to the environment and local people and animals, and this is something that all of the organizations represented at this fair stand for,” shares Nikki.
According to WWF-Philippines President and CEO Joel Palma, travel and tourism contribute around 9 percent of the world’s total GDP. One out of 11 jobs is related to tourism and travel.
He notes, “The benefits from the travel industry are so vast a scale that we cannot afford this industry to fail. With climate change and wasteful consumption issues over our planet’s ability to produce, green travel is a must to save our environment. This should be a concerted effort from both the traveler and the travel industry to ensure that we leave a living planet for future generations to enjoy and benefit from.”
SSI Group, Inc. President Anton Huang says, “It’s a privilege to be able to partner with WWF on this truly unique event. Travel has become a big part of all of our lives. Whether you’re a budget traveler or a luxury traveler, there’s always room for more awareness when it comes to how our travels impact our planet. Creating Green Wanderer is our way of practicing this advocacy here in our own backyard, and presenting Filipino travelers with options and ideas.”
Green Wanderer, presented by SSI Group Inc. and WWF-Philippines, is co-presented by Mastercard, El Nido Resorts, PHILTOA, and the Department of Agriculture. Major sponsors are NutriAsia, Locally PH, and Bonifacio High Street with CNN Philippines, National Geographic, Philippine Star, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Our Awesome Planet, and WhenInManila.com as media partners.
Green Wanderer Travel Fair will be held from August 11 to 13, 2017 at Central Square, Bonifacio High Street Central, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. For more information, visit facebook.com/WWF.Philippines, or follow @ssilifeph on Instagram.
About SSI Group, Inc:
SSI Group, Inc. is the leading specialty retailer in the Philippines with an extensive portfolio of established international brands that cater to all aspects of a quality lifestyle and is supported by a nationwide strategic retail presence. Leading the Philippine specialist retail market in terms of the size and breadth of its international brand portfolio and store footprint, SSI Group Inc. has also expanded its retail format offerings with its entry into convenience stores under the FamilyMart franchise.
About WWF:
WWF is one of the world’s largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with over 5 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries. WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the Earth’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world’s biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.
WWF-Philippines has been successfully implementing various conservation projects to help protect some of the most biologically-significant ecosystems in Asia since its establishment as the 26th national organization of the WWF network in 1997.
The WWF-Philippines National Youth Council (NYC), which was established in 2016 as the organization’s youth arm, brought together eight young Filipinos to spread WWF’s message of environmental conservation and bring pressing issues to the general consciousness of the Filipino youth. The primary goal of the NYC is to empower the youth on what they can do as we face a plethora of environmental concerns and have currently reached out to more than 500,000 individuals.
About Central Square:
Central Square, a 240-hectare mixed-use development, is a premium destination at the heart of Bonifacio Global City. It holds the flagship stores of international specialty retail brands such as Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, Lacoste, Michael Kors, Kate Spade, Marks & Spencer, GAP, Tommy Hilfiger, Brooks Brothers, Marc Jacobs, Hamleys, TWG, and Starbucks Reserve, among others.
