Handmade: Tourism Product Development for Inclusivity

Date: December 16, 2020, Wednesday

Time: 10:00 AM Philippine Standard

Time Speaker: Chen Reyes-Mencias, EnP, Tourism Planning Consultant, Bluewater Consultancy

The concept of a tourism product continues to confuse local government, including tourism officers. This webinar provided an enlightening definition of a tourism product and presented an innovative tool that will make the process of creating products for communities fun and inspiring.

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Life Stories: Community-based tourism success stories

Date: December 2, 2020, Wednesday

Time: 10:00 AM Philippine Standard Time

Speaker: Louie F Mencias, Tourism Planning Consultant, Bluewater Consultancy  

In October we conducted the webinar “The Link: What has Ecology got to do with Tourism?” where Louie F, Mencias discussed the ‘Buhay Program’ and the ecosystem-based products designed to achieve environmental, social and economic goals. The audience requested that we feature sites that have successfully implemented it. So, this was part 2. If you haven’t watched the Link, you can view it here.

Community-based tourism is one of the most appropriate approaches for tourism development in the country because it promotes inclusivity. It has also been proven to improve the well-being of many residents of protected areas and outstanding rural destinations. Best practices in community enterprises and local tourism development provide inspiration and guidelines for other sites aspiring to go into tourism development. This webinar featured real-life stories of fisherfolks, farmers, indigenous people and communities that have engaged in community-based tourism which provide convincing proof that it works.

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The Road Map: The Basics of Tourism Planning

Date: November 12, 2020, Thursday

Time: 10:00 AM Philippine Standard Time

Speaker: Chen Reyes-Mencias, EnP, Tourism Planning Consultant, Bluewater Consultancy

The best way for a local government to align its tourism industry along the sustainable path is to have a Tourism Master Plan. Few LGUs are investing in the process due to the lack of understanding of the basic principles and steps towards crafting their plan.

This webinar focused on these, as well as the variations and phasing of plans so that LGUs can determine which option is the most appropriate for them. There were emphasis on the participatory process, innovative tools and the holistic approach.

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The Link: What has Ecology got to do with Tourism?

Date: October 21, 2020, Wednesday

Time: 10:00 AM Philippine Standard Time

Speaker: Louie F Mencias, Tourism Planning Consultant, Bluewater Consultancy

Natural places have outstanding features that have the potential for life-enhancing experiences. Tourism product development helps create opportunities for people to develop a deep understanding and appreciation of nature. This talk featured the Buhay Program and the ecosystem-based products designed to achieve environmental, social and economic goals. The program includes capacity building for host communities in natural attractions or protected areas to get them included in the tourism value chain.

One of the more significant trainings is for local guides who will facilitate recreational and soft adventure activities that are dependent on the natural features and dominant ecosystems. The program creates livelihood opportunities for fisherfolks, farmers, out of school youth, the unemployed and indigenous people in the rural countryside. Moreover, it encourages communities to take more active roles in preserving their heritage, nature conservation and protection of wildlife.

Learn about the “Buhay Program” and how it can capacitate marginalized members of rural communities to engage in various ecotourism-related micro-enterprises.

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Headcount: The need to improve the measure of the tourism industry to make it sustainable

Date: October 7, 2020, Wednesday

Time: 10:00 AM Philippine Standard Time

Speaker: Chen Reyes-Mencias, EnP, Tourism Planning Consultant, Bluewater Consultancy

Many destinations worldwide experienced “over-tourism” pre-COVID. This is the condition where there are more tourists than a place can manage effectively. Despite the use of satellite accounts at the national level, many local governments in the Philippines still gauge tourism based on the volume of tourist arrivals. Using mainly economic indicators give the local governments the illusion that the more tourists there are, the better. Sustainable development requires the use of the quadruple bottom line approach through the integration of environmental, social, economic and institutional goals. In our country’s quest to align the tourism industry along the sustainable path, there is need to improve how we measure success.

This webinar enlightened participants on the other indicators that should be considered when assessing the current status of local industries.

You can watch the recording on our Facebook page.

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