UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES

CENTER FOR INTEGRATIVE AND DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

LOCAL-REGIONAL STUDIES NETWORK • CORDILLERA STUDIES CENTER

POLICY BRIEF
UP CIDS POLICY BRIEF 2019–18 ISSN 2619-7286 (ONLINE) • ISSN 2619-7278 (PRINT)

Understanding and reshaping

tourist culture in response to
community ideals and
environmental development
IO M. JULARBAL*

Abstract improvements, on tourism-driven communities

were primarily thought of bearing only the tourist
This policy brief stems from how tourist cultures in mind. With this comes the creation of a tourism-
impact communities, specifically in indigenous centered culture which is utterly devoid of the
areas, where culture has inadvertently become part locality’s sensibilities, society, and ways. At present,
of the tourism industry. The modern ideals for some communities have now taken a more proactive
cultural tourism could be seen as an avenue for approach, taking into consideration not only the
environmental protection, forging community bonds, economic benefits of tourism, but also that there are
and heritage preservation. But certain key steps several tourism industry-based communities which
and measures have to be taken that are preferably have difficulty in moving forward, especially for
initiated by these communities. Tourism in itself is communities that have grown more or less familiar
a culture, but this culture can be reshaped and re- with traditional tourism schemes.
designated to work in congruence with community
ideals and principles. Community involvement The move towards cultural tourism is
and education play a major role in changing how ideologically attached to modern conventions
tourism affects areas and communities, but such of cultural representations, whereas culture and
requires a reidentification with community identities identity become the foci for non-appropriative,
and ideals. sensitive, and respectful treatment delivered
towards host communities in tourism-driven
areas, specifically in areas where community
Policy background practice, products, and folkways are the driving
force behind the industry. However, for some
This policy proposal stems forth from the communities, culture, environment, and other
development of cultural tourism. The tourism aspects of native representations can be approached
industry has gone a long way from its one-sided as either modifiable or utilitarian aspects which
origins which were simply centered on catering can be sourced to specifically increase the influx of
to the visitor. Structures, among other physical clientele. Culture for tourism has always been seen

* Assistant Professor, Department of Language, Literature, and the Arts (DLLA), College of Arts and Communication (CAC),
University of the Philippines Baguio and Head, Program for Indigenous Cultures (PIC), University of the Philippines Baguio •
Email address: [email protected]
2 UN D E RSTA N D I N G A N D R E SH A PI N G TOU RIST CU LTU RE

as quantifiable in terms of its potential in generating Proposed policy guidelines

income. But on the other side of the spectrum, there
are communities that live knowing that culture is This proposed policy change focuses its attention on
important in terms of preserving folkways, identity, full involvement of the communities that are directly
and environment and should therefore not be utilized concerned with tourism areas. Though the concept of
for economic gain. It is indeed a community’s right cultural tourism has already been stipulated through
guidelines, procedures, and strategies in several
to preserve and maintain what they see as cultural,
countries, it should also be taken into consideration
but tourism, on the other hand, is also inevitable.
that the concept of cultural tourism is fairly new
Therefore, balance should be sought.
to several tourism-driven global communities. A
Francesco Frangialli, former Secretary-General general statement on cultural tourism policies is
of the World Tourism Organization writes, “Tourism impossible as varying communities require more
is an extremely complex endeavor. Not only are specific community culture-based stipulations,
huge amounts of money at stake; we are, in addition, whereas, sensibilities, folkways, and community laws
providing economic incentives for protecting the and norms have to be taken into consideration in
natural environment, restoring cultural monuments, design and implementation.
and preserving native cultures” (1998, vii). The community action model (Hennessey Lavery
Communities can be taught and encouraged to et al. 2005) was originally conceived as a five-step
understand that tourism, if conducted properly, has guide on the implementation of community-led
the ability to cater to both the needs and advantages health care practices (see Figure 1 below). The same
of the community and the tourists. Tourism can model can be applied and modified to provide
be used not to abuse and destroy, but to improve instructions on a proposed community-based and
and maintain whilst giving the tourist a lasting -led tourism practice guide.
and enjoyable experience, and, for the community,
utmost security and respect. FIGURE 1 The community action model

The establishment of policies on cultural

tourism are directed towards the local government
units involving offices which are directly involved
with tourism and cultural affairs, as well as other
environmental sectors. But such policies should also
be designed and planned by the community due to
its knowledge and experience with their own culture.

Bearing this in mind, the development of the

proposal will be driven by the following objectives:

(1) To provide tourism communities a proper

understanding of tourist culture, for them
to be made aware of its pros and cons;
(2) For communities to develop proper Source: Hennessey Lavery et al. 2005, 612
responses to tourism cultures which
Based on Paolo Freire’s theories on education
are sensitive to both environmental and
as a liberating factor for the oppressed and their
community ways;
beleaguered conditions, the community action
(3) To provide sustainable solutions in attaining model takes into consideration community
proper economic and cultural accords with involvement as a very fundamental means of
tourist cultures that will benefit both sides; arriving at better solutions to various problematic
and conditions in society (ibid.). As its proponents write:
(4) To create guidelines which will mandate The community action model involves
tourist behavior in communities and how participatory action research approaches
to formally administer these. and is asset based (i.e., it builds on the
 U P CIDS PO LICY BRIEF 20 1 9 – 18 3

strengths of a community to create change community and tourism should be given an equal
from within). Its intent is to create change foothold. Possible target samples would be:
by building community capacity, working
• Changing tourism behavior (i.e., tourist
in collaboration with communities, and
providing a framework for residents to education and discipline)
acquire the skills and resources necessary • Community limitations on tourist entry in
to assess the health conditions of their ritual space
community and then plan, implement, and
evaluate actions designed to improve • Determining and distinguishing community
those conditions (Hennessey Lavery and tourist space
et al. 2005, 612). • Environmental preservation
In applying the community model in designing • Economic incentives for communities under
a proposed community-led tourism guidelines. this tourism spheres
proposal suggests the following steps based on the Community responses towards such targets
five-step model. would now flesh out certain members to be
designated essential roles in addressing and
Step one: Community involvement and realizing such targets. A good example would be
knowledge the designation of community cultural leaders and
elders in designing tourist limitation of movement
Establishment of community involvement in
the community's tourism discourse for specific ritual areas. This may also include
• Information dissemination certain periods of the year when tourist entry is not
• Identification of key community members allowed.
The perfect time to establish the improvement
of community knowledge through training and
Identification of community tourism-based
targets capacity building would be once specific targets as
• Determining and targeting tourism issues in well as community representatives and designations
the community are already established. But it also has to be taken
• Establishment of community roles/
involvement into consideration that trainings and capacity-
• Designating specific areas for concentration building are ongoing processes.
(e.g., economic, environmental, social,
educational, cultural, etc.)
Step two: Causes and effects

Defining specific community tourism issues

Community training, capacity building, and and designing specific models for its action
skills and knowledge development plan

Step one of the model relies heavily on community

knowledge and involvement. The community, after Community diagnosis
all, knows first-hand what the tourism situation
is and how it affects the people. By immediately
implying that the community has a vital role in After this, the second step now moves toward a
decision-making, responsibility is forged. Indigenous formally prescribed understanding of the issues.
communities already have a pre-designed idea on This may now involve technically determining issues
how these matters are designated, because social with a more in-depth analysis of cause and effect.
hierarchies, as well as distinct societal decision- For example:
making roles, are already recognized and respected,
Tourist entry in community ritual space
the role of the local government would be to
Define community ritual spaces and determine
mediate such discourses and have these established where these are (based on the definition and
and formally recognized. agreement of the community)

In identifying community-based targets, it

should be made clear that all sides encompassing (continued on next page)
4 UN D E RSTA N D I N G A N D R E SH A PI N G TOU RIST CU LTU RE

(continued from previous page) (continued from previous column)

Identification of positive and negative effects Action/activity and implementation
Negative With the results from the community diagnosis,
• Disturbs certain community processes the following may be produced:
• Damages not only the privacy of the ritual • Memorandum of agreement
act but may also have an impact on the • Barangay-based ordinances
environment of the ritual space • Municipal ordinance
Positive • Tourism manual and guidelines
• Is a good avenue in tourist education
• Opportunity for the community to exhibit its
culture
• May provide economic incentives
Step five: Maintenance and continuity

Maintain and enforce action/activity

Community diagnosis
The final step is a reiteration of step 4, but with
This is specifically where the community would
weigh their opinions concerning the matter; may specific guidelines on its maintenance and continuity.
involve specific activities such as: It has to be emphasized that the effectivity of the
• Community referendum
• Discussion/debate/deliberation design of the MOA guidelines, as well as manuals
and brochures will be dependent on their specific
yet comprehensive nature. A community-based
Steps three and four: Results and action governing body (i.e. committee/board/team) may be
established to ensure the continuity of the action or
activity.
Analyze results of community diagnosis

Policy objectives

Select action or activity and implement this This proposed policy aims to develop guidelines for
a sustainable tourism culture that also caters to the
protection of:
A proper study of the results of the community
• Geographical and environmental resources
diagnosis may lead to an effective design of a
• Local communities and the maintenance of
community-approved and -mandated memorandum
their ways of living
of agreement (MOA). The MOA may then be
further augmented with again another set of • Preservation of local traditions, folkways,
and heritage
community-approved guidelines for implementation
and enforcement. Tourism and its effects have been virtually
globally felt. Time and time again, the story of the
In following our previously given example, steps sleepy village which becomes a space of hotels and
3 and 4 may be seen in the figure below: restaurants is common. But regardless of its notions
of structural improvements, the more modern view
Community diagnosis results of tourism has now taken the role as an activity
• The community agrees on a seasonal with a multitude of impacts. “Tourism is one of the
opening of ritual spaces for tourism purposes most well-known free time recreational activities
• Such specific dates are scheduled on times
as mandated by the community in modern society” (Muller 2002). Tourism thus
• Tourist entry maybe immediately suspended becomes an inevitable activity of displacement. It is
by the community if there is a necessity of a
ritual
continual and unstoppable, but what does it imply
• Entrance fees should be charged to tourists as far as the destination and the tourist space is
as compensation for the space's maintenance concerned? Guidelines, rules, and laws have to be
and salary for site clerks, security, and
custodians made in order to maintain the tourist space. Taking
care and maintaining the environment visited by the
tourist is and should be the main priority since it
(continued on next column) emphasizes preservation of what the original intent
 U P CIDS PO LICY BRIEF 20 1 9 – 18 5

of tourism is all about, a detachment from what is Possible outcomes

seen as regular into a new space with new offerings
and experience. This proposed policy as well as proper planning and
execution will see the following outcomes toward
“Tourism is a social interaction between sustainable cultural tourism:
the host community and the guest community”
(Apostolopulos 1996). Not only does tourism • Guidelines and principles that are created,
rely on environmental and geographic space but designed, and mandated by the community;
on social space as well. But local communities • Prioritization of the welfare, benefit, and
that are under tourism areas tend to forget the protection of the host place and community;
community space, since these become eventually
yet temporarily occupied by tourist intrusion. “The • Raising of the image and profile of the place
societal dimension of tourism deserves at least as therefore not only forging its touristic value
much consideration as the economic dimension.” but more importantly raising community
(Tuna 2011) The recognition of social space, its identity and pride; and
boundaries and its limits are very essential in terms • Forging of community skill and knowledge
of maintaining the folkways and traditions of the and capability in handling and dealing
community. Without these, the community ceases with visitors as well as maintaining areas of
to exist and becomes nothing more than service
touristic interest.
groups aimed to cater to tourists while adhering
to a tourism-dictated way of life. Indigenous Tourism guidelines and principles help maintain
communities have seen the adverse effects of tourism and preserve local ways and traditions as governed
and how it has permanently changed their lives. by the following concepts:
Tourism should not be controlling but a controllable
factor, to be dictated upon by the community that • Respectful in aspects of dignity, rights, and
considers itself as the host. Sustainable tourism in beliefs of the local culture;
this instance should direct itself towards creating a • Maintain authenticity and distinctiveness;
culture that fosters and cares for the host community
• Owned by the host community;
and will not demand much of them as required
by traditional necessities of tourism, “…for health, • Support locally made products;
sport entertainment, travel and holiday.” (Lanquar • Aimed at providing benefits equitably to the
1999). community;
Community folkways, local traditions, and • Continually evolving with management
heritage have the ability to attract a tourism responsive to change; and
industry but certain guidelines have to be taken
into consideration so as not to convert these into • Primarily considers the reduction of
nothing more than appropriated instances for tourist environmental destruction and waste.
consumption. Folkways, traditions, and heritage are
what dictate the lives of communities, it is where Conclusion
they draw their identities and abilities. For these to
be subjugated into categorized avenues for tourism Modern tourism has already taken a more proactive
is demeaning for the community, and is culturally role in the preservation and maintenance of not
abusive. Tourism should be molded to become only the environment and its resources, but also of
sensitive to such community ways. Community culture and tradition. But it also has to be taken
space and individuals should be respected and into consideration that tourism has had its share of
privacies maintained. Cultural education is the key irreparable damages and permanent imposition of
in changing idealized tourism cultures. The steps change in communities. Sustainable tourism asserts
toward the preservation of culture can safely involve that tourism need not be one-directional, catering
tourism. The tourist experience can be designed simply to touristic needs as it is traditionally
to be non-evasive, respectful, and sensitive while understood. With pending modes of environmental
at the same time educational, informative, and degradation and the disappearance of community
enlightening. values and folkways, tourism can be transformed
6 UN D E RSTA N D I N G A N D R E SH A PI N G TOU RIST CU LTU RE

into a tool that caters to preservation rather than Hospitality Management 7, no. 6: 3–8. https://
utilization. doi.org/10.1108/09596119510095325.

Many tourism communities still lack the Lanquar, Robert. 1999. Turizm ve seyahat sosyolojist.
fundamental tools in enforcing rules and mandates Istanbul: Iletism Yayinlari.
to protect themselves. Indigenous communities,
which are now the highlight of a new breed of McIntosh, Robert W., and Goeldner, Charles. 1994.
tourism, are also susceptible to this since they Tourism: Principles, Practices, Philosophies.
are virtually new to such a culture. Educating and Hoboken, NJ: Wiley and Sons.
training community members to be more responsive McKercher, Bob, and Du Cros, Hilary. 2002. Cultural
to community and touristic needs produces a Tourism: The Partnership Between Tourism
balance from which both sides gain from greatly. and Cultural Heritage Management. New York:
Haworth Press.

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The UP CIDS Policy Brief Series features short reports, analyses, and commentaries on issues of national significance and
aims to provide research-based inputs for public policy. The views and opinions expressed in this policy brief are those of
the author/s and neither reflect nor represent those of the University of the Philippines or the UP Center for Integrative and
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