The tourism industry in the Philippines faces several challenges, including the lack of localized public policies for sustainable tourism, the need for skill development in farm tourism, water resource management issues, and low organizational diversity in the tourism workforce.

Key Insights

• Lack of Localized Public Policies:
  • The Province of Romblon lacks sound tourism master plans to safeguard sustainability, which is crucial for community-based tourism (CBT) ventures
    1
    .
• Farm Tourism Development:
  • Filipino farmers face challenges in diversifying farms into tourism sites due to a lack of skills, training, and capital investment. The Farm Tourism Development Act of 2016 aims to bridge this gap, but more initiatives are needed
    2
    .
• Water Resource Management:
  • In Basco, Batanes, the increasing demand for water across various sectors, including tourism, poses a significant challenge. Effective water resource management requires institutional synergies and localized integrated water resource management principles
    5
    .
• Workforce Diversity:
  • The tourism industry in Calamba City, Laguna, shows low organizational diversity, with biases in hiring practices and underrepresentation of certain demographic groups, such as the LGBT community
    4
    .

Conclusion

The tourism sector in the Philippines faces multifaceted challenges, including the need for better public policies, skill development in farm tourism, effective water resource management, and improved workforce diversity. Addressing these issues requires comprehensive planning, training, and inclusive policies to ensure sustainable and equitable tourism development.