Tourism is a fragmented industry, and yet it requires the cooperation or input of every social and

institutional organization. Photo by JL JAVIER

Editor’s note: Caloy Libosada is a tourism and ecotourism consultant. He was a research officer

for the Department of Tourism for seven years and taught tourism at the University of the

Philippines Asian Institute of Tourism for 15 years.

Manila (CNN Philippines Life) — When a surfing incident in Siargao involving an unqualified

instructor and broadcast journalist Karen Davila’s son made the news, it put the spotlight on an

industry that has been bogged down with a question that’s been begging to be answered: when

is a destination ready for tourism?

Gone are the days when the travel industry was just a marginal sector in governance. One that

was often regarded as a non-essential component in development. Tourism was, for many, an

exclusive domain for foreign travelers and a few moneyed Filipinos.

Back in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, domestic tourism was virtually unheard of for most parts of

the Philippines, and the only compelling reason to leave one’s community to go to far-away places

was to visit friends and relatives. Only the likes of resorts in Cavite, Batangas, Cebu, the Ilocos

provinces, and the highlands of Baguio had experiences of domestic tourism. And even then, the

Department of Tourism (DOT) only had token programs for that market, with 90 percent of the

marketing resources poured into attracting foreign tourists. You can blame a weak economy and

security concerns as the main factors for that negligible domestic situation.
In those early days, I was a backpacker and tourism researcher going up the mountains and

exploring caves. I always had to contend with the question of whether I was a communist rebel

or a government spy. Very few would risk their lives in far-off rural places and be labeled as a

target of both parties with guns.

Fast forward to the present and you will be astounded by the numbers: more than 50 million

domestic movements last year (only including at least one night stay in a destination). In most

destinations, domestic tourists occupy 70 to 90 percent of the space for visitor numbers. In terms

of economic gains, foreign tourists provided about ₱250 billion receipts, while the domestic

market distributed more than one trillion pesos.

From being a minor economic player that was just figuring out how to develop a few decades

ago, the Philippines’ travel industry now contributes 8.6 percent to the GDP.

The proof of validity is now all over the country, and local government units that gained success

for buying into tourism early on are clear proofs. Today, virtually every governor, mayor, and

barangay captain wants to get a slice of the tourism windfall. For some, it’s the only way out of

poverty for their constituents. For the majority, it’s a clear winnable investment. There is no need

to spend anything, and it’s a good excuse to get development projects such as airports and

tourism roads.
Unfortunately, our government is not designed to integrate tourism requirements into governance

on all levels. It would have to take a visionary local government official who has the grit to literally

fight for a well-defined and managed tourism industry.