Philippine Standard time

The Perceived Impacts of Tourism in Indigeous Communities: A Case Study of Sagada, Mt. Province


The discourse on tourism and its impacts on indigenous peoples (IPs) has been highlighted with the emergence of new forms of tourism, notably ecotourism, which target the pristine and natural environments found in indigenous homelands. One of the most marginalized sectors in the global economy, IPs are invisible in tourism impact research and rarely considered in tourism planning. This study describes the perceived impacts of tourism in Sagada, Mt. Province which is one of the most visited destinations in the Cordillera Administrative Region and home to the most number of IPs in the Philippines. Qualitative data were gathered through key informant interviews guided by one major question: what are your thoughts on tourism and how has it affected you, your community and your environment? Results show that tourism in Sagada is in place and seems to be succeeding as an indigenous enterprise. But while the control of the industry is in local hands, the economic gains from tourism are not equitably distributed and favor those who have the capital to construct lodging houses, inns, restaurants, and other tourist-related facilities. On the other hand, the poor farmers who comprise the majority do not experience the trickling down of benefits which the national and regional tourism master plans and other government tourism programs have expected to happen. One of the recommendations of the study is the conduct of a household survey to determine the direct beneficiaries of tourism in the community and its actual contribution to household income. The results of this survey must be taken into consideration by policy makers and tourism development planners if the principle of equity is to be achieved. The study also recommends the enactment of a bill requiring the mandatory conduct of a socio-cultural impact assessment as a precondition to any planned tourism development especially where cultural communities are involved. To ensure the implementation of the law, the study further recommends the creation of a national body that shall see to it that the tourism development plan is guided by cultural sensitivity, sustainability, equity and respect for indigenous peoples and their right to self-determination.

Citations

This publication has been cited time(s).

Keywords
Cite
Downloads

711

Since
Jul 04, 2013