The Philippine province of Camiguin, a small island off the northern coast of Mindanao, is preparing for the 47th Lanzones Festival, set for the second half of October, while pursuing a longer-term goal of becoming a premier sustainable island destination — one that draws more visitors even as it protects the island's white-sand beaches and lush forests.

The festival takes its name from the lanzones, a tropical fruit grown across Southeast Asia and the province's signature fruit, which is said to be sweeter than anywhere else in the Philippines thanks to Camiguin's nutrient-rich volcanic soil. The island, after all, is home to 17 volcanoes.

Ahead of the festivities, the local government last Thursday hosted a roundtable discussion on sustainable island destination governance, in preparation both for the festival and for the province's ambitions beyond it.

Balancing arrivals and livelihoods

Governor Xavier Jesus D. Romualdo told visiting Manila media on Sept. 17 that the province must undertake environmental tourism planning, an approach that studies "how much activity a place can support without degrading it."

"Protecting and restoring these places must be part of the development agenda. It's about making the protection of the island part of the value it creates," Mr. Romualdo said. "Arrivals matter but so do livelihoods, service quality, the condition of our tourism sites, and the experience of the people who live around them."

In 2024, Camiguin recorded 288,558 visitors, its highest number since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The province projects that it will welcome over 824,000 visitors annually by 2028, nearly triple the 2024 count, its target year for becoming a fully sustainable island destination.

Earlier this year, Camiguin was included in The New York Times' annual "52 Places to Go in 2026" list of recommended destinations — a distinction Mr. Romualdo cited as motivation to maintain the island's natural beauty.

"The projected growth raises the need to prepare transport, water supply, accommodation, public services, and tourism sites for the additional demand," he said, noting that the ongoing expansion of the Camiguin airport runway should encourage more flights to and from the island.

Although 90% of tourism arrivals are Filipinos, the province has also recorded visitors from Spain, the USA, France, and Germany.

"We must shift the focus from visitor volume towards the value tourism creates and how widely its benefits are distributed across communities," Mr. Romualdo said.

A stronger tourism industry, he explained, will create opportunities for local farmers, fishers, artisans, guides, transport operators, and suppliers.

Lessons from other provinces

Examples of successful sustainable tourism elsewhere in the country presented during the conference.

Joanne M. Pinat, head of Bohol's tourism office, described how the province, now one of the Philippines' best-known tourism destinations, turned itself around — from being "one of the poorest provinces, with many unregulated livelihood activities" to banking on its natural and cultural resources to become an ecotourism destination.

"We expanded our portfolio in the '90s from the Chocolate Hills and the river by practicing conservation efforts. We've been doing community-based tourism over the last three decades," she said.

Maria Rica C. Bueno, former undersecretary of the Department of Tourism, noted the necessary shift in tourism planning from the 5 A's (attractions, access, accommodations, amenities, activities) to the VICE model (visitors, industry, community, environment).

"A destination's success will not happen if it's worked on just by the LGU (local government unit). It has to be a collaboration," she said, emphasizing the importance of all stakeholders. "The LGU has the key role as the facilitator and steerer providing direction on how tourism will be developed."

Camiguin's plans

Camiguin currently has 170 tourism establishments with 1,312 rooms, including 127 accommodation establishments accredited by the Department of Tourism. According to Mr. Romualdo, a number of hotel groups and developers are also buying properties on the island to put up resorts.

He identified transportation connecting Manila to Camiguin as the main barrier to greater investment on the island.

"We feel that when the new runway is finally completed, we'll be able to have direct flights with bigger aircraft and, hopefully, get more investments," he said. "It's also a pressing concern for us to have better solid waste management and wastewater management in place. We have a grant for this from the national government and it's something we plan to fast-track."

Under the Camiguin Tourism Action Plan 2025-2028, the province aims to improve five areas: sustainability and resilience; infrastructure and accessibility; smart tourism and digitalization; governance, community, and culture; and marketing, events, and economic growth.

Mr. Romualdo added that the province also aims to tap into the MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions) market, though the island does not yet have facilities large enough for such events.

"I see the potential, and a lot of people really do want to come here," he said. "Our plan is to build a proper convention center. In the meantime, we'll make do with our gymnasium and smaller venues, but MICE is something we really want to tap into in the future."

— Brontë H. Lacsamana