Exploring Tourism As a Potential Development Strategy for an Artisanal Fishing Community in the Philippines: The Case of Barangay Victory in Bolinao

Abstract

Development strategies for remote artisanal fishing communities in the less developed world often promote tourism as an alternative livelihood. However, little is known regarding the perspectives of fisherfolk in these communities on tourism as a potential livelihood. Furthermore, there is a paucity of research into fisherfolks' understanding of tourism, how they identify their roles for potential involvement in tourism, and their desire to be "developed." This article reports on a case study of Barangay Victory, a remote fishing-based community in the Bolinao region of the Philippines. Twenty-one faceto-face semistructured interviews were conducted with community members. Methods were grounded within participatory action research and phenomenological inquiry. Interviews were recorded and transcribed. Using a deductive approach, data sets were manually coded and a thematic analysis was conducted. Results demonstrate that residents rely heavily upon marine resources but, despite a reported declining fishery, the majority of fisherfolk remain satisfied with fishing as an occupation. Furthermore, although respondents stated a general willingness to engage in tourism development, the understanding of tourism (both the term itself and its potential role as a livelihood) was minimal. Thus, when considering the potential of tourism as a development strategy, though participant responses were positive, the results from this study have been interpreted as a yes that means a no. This lack of understanding of tourism as well as the expressed contentment with fishing as an occupation needs to be carefully considered when development strategies propose a livelihood shift towards tourism.

Surf-riding tourism in coastal fishing communities: A comparative case study of two projects from the Philippines

“…The exploratory two cases described in this study, demonstrate examples of projects that were developed by outsiders without community participation in the planning processes, but with intended social benefits. Previous research has shown that outsiders have the ability to improve business skills and increase knowledge of the tourism sector in developing nations and remote fishing communities (Buckley, 2012;Diedrich, 2007;Porter and Orams, 2014;Towner, 2013). The exploratory case studies also revealed personal private equity investment as an important factor common in both cases.…”

“…There is often a lack of tourism awareness and/or hospitality skills in remote coastal communities (Diedrich, 2007;Porter and Orams, 2014;Saarinen, 2010;Towner, 2013). This lack of awareness of tourism arguably limits the efficacy of community participation in planning process but also a community's ability to fulfil tourist expectations.…”

Evolving governance structures in community-based sandfish mariculture and their interactions with livelihood outcomes: Evidence from the Philippines

“…Elsewhere in the municipality, large-scale aquaculture of milkfish (Chanos chanos) is widespread, generating pollution impacts throughout the region (San Diego-McGlone et al, 2008;Santanderde Leon et al, 2016). Tourism is also increasingly common in Bolinao, although much less so in Barangay Victory (Porter and Orams, 2014).…”

Pengembangan Kawasan Wisata Mandeh melalui rekonstruksi kearifan lokal perempuan pesisir, Kabupaten Pesisir Selatan, Sumatera Barat

“…Melihat potensi itu, pemerintah, dalam Rancangan Induk Pengembangan Pariwisata nasional (RIPPMAS) 1998, kawasan wisata Mandeh telah ditetapkan sebagai pusat pengembangan wisata bahari untuk wilayah barat Indonesia, bersamaan dengan Biak dan Bunaken pada wilayah Timur ). Perkembangan pariwisata di suatu kawasan dapat meningkatkan kesejahteraan masyarakat lokalnya (Lasso & Dahles, 2020; Porter & Orams, 2014;Then et al, 2021). Untuk itu, diperlukan penggalian seluruh aspek potensi lokal dalam pelestarian wisata bahari sangat dibutuhkan (Alhadi, 2018).…”