Handmade: Tourism Product Development for Inclusivity - The concept of a tourism product continues to confuse local government, including tourism officers. This webinar will provide an enlightening definition of a tourism product and present an innovative tool that will make the process of creating products for communities fun and inspiring.
Life Stories: Community-based tourism success stories - 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, Louie is back for this part 2. 
The Road Map: The Basics of Tourism Planning - 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 will focus 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 will be emphasis on the participatory process, innovative tools and the holistic approach.
The Link: What has Ecology got to do with Tourism? - 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.
Headcount: The need to improve the measure of the tourism industry to make it sustainable - 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.
The Shift: The tourism industry’s transformation after COVID-19 - Several misconceptions about tourism development have led to the decline of destinations that should have been the benchmarks for the rest of the country. The pause created by the COVID-19 pandemic presents a golden opportunity for local governments and the private sector to reflect on these misconceptions, and to take a conscious shift in their understanding of the concept of sustainable tourism. Post-pandemic should usher in a new way of thinking and doing, in order for the country to align tourism development along the sustainable path.
The Great Tradeoff: Balancing the re-opening of tourist destinations and public safety during COVID-19 - As the Philippines grapples with the decision to save its battered economy, it is also faced with the fact that COVID-19 is still a serious threat to the lives of people. Although some experts argue that re-opening the economy too early may cause a second wave, which may force another lockdown, the National Government has given the go signal for some provinces to consider re-opening their tourism destinations to domestic tourists.