Enhanced Tourism Policies Implementation for Sustainable Economic Development of Bacacay, Albay
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19429569Keywords:
Sustainable Tourism Development; Tourism Policy Implementation; Five A’s of Tourism; Tourism Governance; Destination Competitiveness; Stakeholder Involvement; Local Economic DevelopmentAbstract
Tourism is a significant driver of sustainable economic development, particularly in resource-rich local destinations such as Bacacay, Albay. This study examines the implementation of tourism policies as a strategic approach to enhancing destination competitiveness and sustainability, anchored on Systems Theory and Butler’s Tourism Area Life Cycle (TALC). It applies the Five A’s framework—Attractions, Activities, Amenities, Accommodation, and Accessibility—to assess tourism governance and development. Specifically, the study aims to determine existing tourism policies and programs in Bacacay along the Five A’s in terms of stakeholder involvement, identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT), examine challenges encountered in tourism management, and propose actionable policies and programs for sustainable tourism development. A mixed-methods research design was employed, combining quantitative surveys with qualitative interviews and focus group discussions involving key stakeholders from the Department of Tourism Region V, the Provincial Tourism and Cultural Affairs Office of Albay, the Bacacay Municipal Tourism Office, and selected tourism stakeholders. Findings reveal that while Bacacay possesses strong natural and cultural tourism resources supported by an established policy framework, significant gaps persist in implementation, including inadequate amenities, limited infrastructure, weak marketing strategies, insufficient stakeholder coordination, and lack of effective monitoring systems. The study concludes that strengthening tourism policy implementation is essential to improving tourism outcomes and recommends enhanced governance mechanisms, infrastructure development, stronger stakeholder collaboration, and sustainability integration to promote inclusive economic growth and long-term destination resilience.
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