Department of Tourism Guideline

Definition of tourism

Tourism is all about people who

are travelling to and staying in places
away from their home. Tourism can
involve travel for business, for
pleasure, to visit friends and relatives
or for other reasons such as shopping
or personal business.

sensitivity. Non-consumptive use of

wildlife and natural resources and
contributes to the visited area through
labor or financial means aimed at
directly benefiting the conservation
issues in general and to the specific
needs of the locals.

Ecotourism Criteria
Rich natural attractions
and conducive to travel
Unique features and
education to visitors
Rich in flora and fauna,
endemic/endangered
species
Not frequented by
commercial tourists
Native traditions of local
people remain untouched
Rich in biodiversity
Beneficial to local host
population

All overnight trips are

considered tourism. And, anyone
travelling out-of-town and 40
kilometers or more one way from
home on a same-day trip is a tourist.
There are exceptions travel to work,
for education, for military purposes,
migration, and routine trips (those
made at least once a month) are not
tourists.

Ecotourism Society

A purposeful travel to natural

areas to understand the culture and
natural history of the environment
taking care not to alter the integrity of
the ecosystem while producing
economic opportunities that make the
conservation of natural resources
beneficial to local people.

Definition of Eco-tourist
Pacific Asia Travel Association

A form of tourism inspired

primarily by the natural history of an
area, including its indigenous cultures.
The ecotourist visits relatively
underdeveloped areas in the spirit of
appreciation, participation and

What ecotourism is all about

Tourism Planning

Developing a theme for

product ID and
development for tour
operators or a community

Guide for future actions

Solve future problems

Predict future scenarios

Systematic or a logical
sequence of steps

Phase I Mission
Statement and Goal
Setting
Phase II Resource
Inventory and Analysis

Phase III Market Analysis

Phase IV Product Market

Matching/Theme/Concept

Phase V Overall
Development Plan

Phase VI Tour Product

Development

Phase VII Market Strategy

Phase VIII
Implementation Strategy

PHASE I: MISSION
STATEMENT AND GOAL
SETTING

Iterative and dynamic

Integrated and
comprehensive

the values to be
protected

what business are you in

overall purpose for

community existence

Mission means
expectations/values;
Goals means aims or
purposes; Objectives
means quantified targets;
and strategies means
types of action

Example: Mission (Be

healthy); Goal (Lose
Weight); Objective (Lose
10 lbs by Oct. 5);
Strategy (Diet and
exercise)

Community-based and
supports community
economic development

Eight Phases of tourism

Planning

An opportunity to
evaluate alternatives

what is important and

deeply cared about
the opportunity to serve
a need

PHASE II: RESOURCE

INVENTORY AND ANALYSIS

Ecotourism Products can be

grouped according to:

natural or environmental

community

heritage or historic

cultural

outdoor recreation

tourism services

special events

information/interpretive
services

surveys or
interviews with
members of the
travel trade
(wholesalers, tour
operators and local
suppliers such as
hotels and resorts,
guides, adventure
tour operators,
NGOs, etc.)

questionnaires
distributed to
visitors in your
region/province/co
mmunity that
potentially
represents the
ecotourism market

PHASE III: MARKET

ANALYSIS
There are two sources of
market demand that can
contribute to determining an
ecotourism product.

primary research,
including
questionnaires and
interviews with the
travel trade; and
secondary or desk
research including the
analysis of written
data or both the local
markets as well as the
international tourism
markets.

1. PRIMARY RESEARCH

Primary research
generates data, directly from
the travel trade or consumers
that is used to shape the
ecotourism product. It is
gathered by:

informal
observation of the
ecotourism market

2. SECONDARY
RESEARCH
Secondary or desk
research is provided by the
literature and survey results
that have been prepared by
others. At the regional,
provincial or community
level, it may include:

visitor exit surveys

surveys of the
adventure market
since there is very
little available data on
the ecotourism market

adventure travel
surveys in other
provinces or regions

market research from

consumer magazines
that provide naturebased tourism
national/regional
planning agencies,
travel associations,
city/municipal or
provincial tourism
offices

PHASE IV MARKET ANALYSIS

COMPETITIVE PRODUCTS

Depending on your
location, the competition
may be in an adjacent
province or region, or
another ASEAN country. It
is important to appreciate
that similar ecotourism
operators in an adjacent
area may be a
collaborator or
contributor to your
overall package.

PHASE V: OVERALL
DEVELOPMENT PLAN

Note: This phase is very

important and is essential to
preparing a professional,
marketable ecotourism product.
This workshop provides an
introduction to this process.
Final product development
requires additional training and
understanding to be provided in
a regional product development
workshop.

Stakeholder Issues
and Concerns
Transportation &
Infrastructure
Transportation
connectivity (air,
sea and ground
services)
Access
infrastructure
(airports, sea ports
and roads)
Destination
infrastructure
(drainage, solid
waste, power,
water, ITC, &
tourist support)
Site infrasructure
(last mile access,
parking, public
toilets, information,
restoration,
protection)
Other Issues and
Concerns
Peace & order,
security and safety
Quality of tourist
facilities and
services
Price and value for
money of services
Weak tourism
manpower skills
LGU tourism
capabilities
Coordination
among
stakeholders
Access to tourism
markets

 Overall
Development Plan

PHASE VI: TOURISM

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
Preparation of
Daily Itinerary
Securing all
services and
suppliers
Establish Price
Structure
Developing a
partnership with
tour operators and
wholesalers

PHASE VII: MARKETING

STRATEGY

It responds to the
definition of tourism / eco-tourism
It responds to the
development strategy
It meets Important
tourism / eco-tourism criteria

PHASE VIII:
IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

There are variety of agencies,

associations, organizations and
companies responsible for the
implementation of a
Development Strategy. A matrix
that outlines the specific

responsibility assure response

to the opportunity as well as
Action.

NTDP Action Plan for CL

Identify and
designate Tourism
Enterprise Zones
(for incentives)
Attract more
investments
Enforce mandatory
accreditation of
tourism enterprises
(primary and
secondary),
enforce tourism
standards / rules
and regulations
Safeguard natural /
cultural heritage
sites
Safeguard
vulnerable groups
(indigenous,
children, women)
PPP-based
marketing strategy
(new tourism
brand, domestic
tourism campaign,
roadshows, etc.)
Expansion of
airport / route
development
Establishment of
tourist information
centers
Formulate local
tourism
development /
destination

marketing /
regulation
Safety and security
(TOP COP
seminars)
New tourism
packages
(attractive and
competitive)
Discover / develop
new market
competitive
products
Inventory of
tourism assets /
attractions /
products
(database)
Tourism road
projects (DOT and
DPWH
convergence)

SCAD Tourism Roadmap

2011 2016
Strategic Directions

Promote
development of
new products

Implement
services
infrastructure

Implement tourism
standards for
primary and
secondary
establishments

Enhance
international and
domestic connectivity

Develop terminal
projects in Clark /
auxiliary
infrastructure

Develop
cooperation
programs
(sisterhood) with
domestic and
international
airports

Develop or
improve roads to
create seamless
movements

Visa upon arrival

and long-stay visa
program

Consider cruise
tourism program

Develop and
market competitive
destination products

Tour packages /
circuits

Market strategy for

the Corridor

Develop
sustainable
destination
infrastructure /
increase supply of
competitive facilities
and services


Build and/or
strengthen institutions

Professionalize
local tourism office

Create coalition of
tourism
stakeholders for
greater
participation

Work with DOT,

DTI, DSWD, DILG
re: integration of
indigenous
communities,
unskilled, women,
elderly, retirees in
the tourism value
chain

Develop a program
with DILG and DOJBI to create a
secure and safe
environment /
prevent human
trafficking

Work with DENR

for environmental
programs

Work with DA and

DOT to identify
areas geared
toward agritourism

Work with DTI and

DOT to identify
new areas for
community-based
projects
(handicrafts,
furnishings)

Implement
activities for skills
capabilities,
professional
tourism training,
human resource
networking

Develop research
network among
tourism schools
and institutions