MODULE 2: THE ECOTOURISM MANAGEMENT

PROCESS

Ecotourism is one of the strategies being pursued as a tool for sustainable development in the Philippines. It is
regarded as a business, tourism product, and tool for conservation and socio-cultural development. It also
includes conserving nature and cultural heritage, spurring economic development, promoting equity of
socioeconomic benefits and encouraging community participation.

In this chapter, you will know the essential steps and processes
involved planning and managing ecotourism ventures to derive
maximum benefits from it.

Learning Outcomes

At the end of this chapter, you should be able to:

 Explain ecotourism as a business activity;

 Discuss the different phases in ecotourism management;
 Identify the components of an ecotourism management and
business plan; and
 Discuss the different site assessment techniques.

Activity 1

1. What environment -friendly business would you want to venture?

2. List down the things to you must consider before putting up a business.

Ecotourism as a business

Ecotourism involved in the process of identifying long-term goals, identifying alternative strategies and
choosing the best option to attain its business goals. Its product is a composite of resources, facilities, activities
and services which is dependent on the quality of the ecotourism plan.

Phases of Ecotourism Management

1. Assessment Phase
a. Preliminary Site Evaluation
b. Full Site Evaluation
2. Planning Phase
a. Ecotourism management plan for site
b. Ecotourism business plan
3. Implementation phase
a. Implementation of the management plan
b. Implementation of the business plan
4. Monitoring and Evaluation

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Site Assessment in a Protected Area

According to NIPAS Act (RA 7586 OF 1992)-“Protected Area refers to identified portions of land and
water set aside by reason of their unique physical and biological significance, managed to enhance
biological diversity and protected against destructive human exploitation.”

Classification of protected areas:

1. Strict nature reserve

2. Natural park
3. Natural monument
4. Wildlife sanctuary
5. Protected landscapes and seascapes
6. Resource reserve
7. Natural biotic areas
8. Other categories established by law, conventions, international agreements signed by the Phil.
Government

Any form of tourism is prohibited in a strict nature reserve. ( Calanog et al., 2012)

Hard and soft tourism may be allowed in a natural park, natural monument, and protected landscape or
seascape.

Hard tourism involves specialist interest or dedicated activity, and a willingness by the visitor to experience
outdoors or wilderness with few comforts.

Soft tourism involves activities where a more casual, less dedicated approach is taken to the activity or
natural attraction, and a desire to experience it with some basic degree of comfort.

Activity 2

Is your barangay located in a protected area? If yes, tell me some of the things you have observed
pertaining to environmental protection that has been implemented.

Different Management zones of Protected Areas

1. Strict protection zones-off-limits to all human activities except for scientific studies and religious
use by indigenous communities
2. Multiple use zones- allow different activities within the prescribed management plan, such as
settlement, traditional and sustainable land use, agriculture, agro-forestry, extraction activities and
livelihood activities.
3. Sustainable use zones-natural areas where habitat and biodiversity are conserved in line with PAMB
management plan. Only indigenous community members, tenured migrants, and buffer zones residents
are allowed to enter, collect and use the natural resources using traditional and sustainable practices
that enhance biodiversity conservation.
4. Restoration zone- environmentally degraded zones that need to revive their natural habitat and
biodiversity.
5. Habitat management zone- contain natural habitats, particularly rare, threatened and endangered
species that require periodic maintenance and management
6. Special use zones-set aside for special uses (telecommunication facilities, irrigation canals or electric
power lines) and retained upon mutual agreement among the concerned parties

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 7. Cultural zones- contain significant cultural, religious, spiritual, and anthropological values where
traditional rites exist and cultural ceremonies and practices take place.
8. Recreational zones- promote recreational, tourism, educational and environmental awareness
values. Sustainable tourism, recreational conservation education and public awareness activities are
allowed.
9. Buffer zones-located outside and adjacent to the protected area that is still under control of the
PAMB.

ASSESSMENT PHASE

It is done by the DENR through the group composed of local stakeholders and the PASu, with the latter acting
as the leader.

A. Preliminary Site Evaluation (PSE)

It is carried out to determine if a site has the potential to be developed into an ecotourism site.
It usually entails the conduct of a focused group discussion involving local community representatives
and tourism experts.
Criteria:
1. presence of significant potential natural and/or cultural attractions
2. ease of providing visitor access to the attraction
3. how well the attractions can be adequately protected from visitor impacts
4. security and environmental hazard issues
5. presence of sufficient management and administrative authority of the ecotourism program at the
site.
6. Availability of initial funding
7. Commitment of protected area managers, tour operators, and communities to adhere ecotourism
guidelines such as low impact, small groups, impact monitoring and community participation
8. whether ecotourism could improve biodiversity health and conservation efforts

B. Full Site Assessment Criteria

1. Access- distance of site from nearest town or city, travel time, modes of transport, number of
transfers
2. Zoning- setbacks, buffers and built-up zones
3. Tourism built-up areas- reception areas, visitor center, restaurant, parking, and administrative
office
4. Development limitations-building limit heights, type of man-made structures, maintaining line of
sight of natural views, distance of roads to sensitive areas, habitat of endangered animals
5. Ecotourism products-there is product development of natural resources
6. Ecotourism operation-either community-based, LGU, commercial tour operators, partnerships, etc
7. Community participation-enables the ownership of ecotourism participation as everyone gets
involved in decision making
8. Skills and training needs of communities-sending locals for internships or bringing experts to
conduct seminars
9. Marketing-study of the characteristics, wants and preferences of current and potential market
segment
10. Site management-
11. Visitor management-managing the volume of visitors, and controlling behaviors to minimize
impacts
12. Partnerships-

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 Assessment 1

Do you consider El Nido as an Ecotourism destination? Support your answer base on the above
criteria.

PLANNING PHASE

A. ECOTOURISM MANAGEMENT PLAN

Ecotourism management planning must involved relevant stakeholders, LGU, DOT, NEDA, local
community, indigenous people and private sector.
1. Site profile-contains the relevant general information about the site
2. Tourism situation- describe development that can be still be introduced in the site
3. Issues and concerns- environmental, social, financial and institutional issues
4. Ecotourism planning for the site- appropriate development for the site. Ecotourism products,
detailed physical plan
5. Vision, goals, and objectives
6. Strategies: zoning, site planning and design, sustainable infrastructure design, visitor management
and revenue generation

EMP document must contain the following:

1. Existing Situation
(Area physical profile, location, climate, geological characteristics, demography, existing infrastructure,
utilities, transportation)
2. Tourism profile
(natural resource base like ecosystems, flora and fauna and attractions; cultural resources like
archeological, cultural, historical sites, festivals, events and indigenous cultures; market analysis like
international & domestic tourist arrivals, profiles and major market segment; tourism marketing;
transport facilities; accommodation facilities; tourism services; human resource development; and
issues and impacts)
3. Plan
(Vision, goals, objectives, strategies, site plan and zoning, visitor management plan, site activity
management, ecotourism business opportunities, capacity building, marketing and promotion,
institutional arrangements, action plan, and monitoring and evaluation)

The full cycle from PSA up to the start of the implementation of the ecotourism management plan is 6 months
and 1 week.

Activity 3: Knowing More!

Write the current situation of your barangay or sitio. It must contain the above format.

B. ECOTOURISM BUSINESS PLAN

After the approval of EMP, ecotourism business plan can now be drawn up. Waiting time to get the approval of
this plan is 1 month.

The business plan must contain the ff:

1. Executive summary
2. Product or service description
3. Ecotourism industry analysis
4. Marketing strategy
5. Financial projections

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 6. Monitoring and evaluation

Categories:

1. Community-based ecotourism enterprise

2. Private concessions (fnb, lodging, tours)
3. NGO ecotourism enterprises
4. Joint ventures by NGO, private sector and LGU
5. Minority groups ventures; women, IPs, OSY and others

Activity 4: Mind their business!

List down the ecotourism related enterprises that can be found in the municipality of
El Nido. Answers must be based from the categories of businesses.

IMPLEMENTATION PHASE

o The implementation of EMP rests on the DENR through the Protected Area Superintendent (PASu)
o The implantation EBP is the responsibility of the LGU and its private sector partners to be formalized
by Special Use Agreement in Protected Area (SAPA) and Protected Area Community-based Resource
Management Agreement (PACBRMA)
o DENR AO No. 2007-17 provide the rules and regulations governing the issuance of SAPA
o SAPA-binding instrument between DENR, though PAMB as the 1st party and second partly like
indigenous people, tenure migrants, LGU, NGO other government entities and private sector, 25 years
of effectivity and renewable.
o Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) one basis for issuance of SAPA
o DENR AO No. 2004-32, a Community-based Resource Management Agreement is “ an agreement
entered into by and between the DENR and the organized tenured migrant communities or interested
indigenous people in protected areas and buffer zones with 25 years of effectivity and renewable for
another 25 years.”

SITE ASSESSMENT IN A NON-PROTECTED AREA

Pre-requisites for Ecotourism Development

1. National/municipal level
a. Economic, political and legislative framework to ensure effective trading and security of
investment
b. Laws that protect local ownership of ecotourism projects thus allowing financial benefits from
ecotourism to be earned and retained within local communities
c. Local ownership rights on natural and cultural resource base
d. Visitor safety and security
2. At the community level
a. The place must have unique natural features and attractive scenery, with the presence of
endemic plants and animals
b. An ecosystem that is able to handle varying levels of visitation stress
c. Interest and awareness of the opportunities and risks involved in ecotourism
d. Presence of a community organization to ensure effective decision-making
e. Respect and protection measures for local indigenous systems and values
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 f. Means for marketing ecotourism activities/enterprise in partnership with other stakeholders in
the value chain
g. A local champion for ecotourism, and community acceptance of ecotourism as an activity.

Ecotourism sites criteria:

1. Presence of a significant number of natural and or cultural resources that are not only unique but of
significant value and in several numbers.
2. Availability of tourist attractions, facilities, services and activities
3. High level of support by the local government unit and community
4. Accessibility
5. Enough market demand
6. Availability of employment and livelihood opportunities for the community
7. Safety, comfort and convenience for the travel of visitors

Preliminary Site Assessment

Participatory Rural Assessment (PRA)

o An approach that incorporates the profile, local knowledge and opinions of rural people in the planning
and management of development projects and programs
o Aims to collect and analyze information given by the community
o Seeks to empower marginalized commies by making them active participants during project planning,
operation and management
o Four categories of PRA Techniques:
1. Visualized analysis- resource and social map transects, timelines, historical profiles, reference
ranking, participatory diagramming, tables and graphs and lists of problems, causes, strategies, and
potentials
2. Interviews-semi-structured, focused group discussions or key informants interview
3. field sampling-transect walks and direct observation
4. group and team dynamics- brainstorming, report writing and work sharing

Scoping/ Pre-Feasibility Study

o It involves a series of consultations and analysis to come up with a definitive project plan of action.
o Initial Consultations- discuss with partner government planners, donors, and target groups their
interest in participating or supporting the potential ecotourism enterprise.
o Filed consultations- entail site visits, problem identification, structured data collection
o Data analysis- analyze the feasibility and benefits of ecotourism from all angles
o Terms of reference- basis for evaluating the sufficiency of the final output

SWOT Analysis

o A strategic planning method used to evaluate the strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats
involved in a project such as ecotourism.
o SO- involves identifying strategies that will capitalize on the strengths of the area in order to take
advantage of the opportunities
o ST- involves identifying strategies that will enable the area to use itsv strengths to counter the threats
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 o WO- refers to strategies that have something to do with rectifying the area’s weaknesses to take
advantage of opportunities
o WT- refers to strategies that will enable the area to address its weaknesses to minimize the impact of
threats

Full Feasibility Study (FFS)

o It is the next step after a pre-feasibility study has established that an area is ready for ecotourism.
o The FS outlines the requisites to make a proposed ecotourism project succeed.
o It provides a solid foundation in developing ecotourism business plan
Components of FS
1. Economic viability
2. Financial soundness
3. Market potentials
4. Technical feasibility
5. Environmental friendliness
6. Social acceptability and cultural sensitivity
7. Organizational soundness

FFS process entails the ff:

1. Stocktaking Review
a. General Management Plan
b. Comprehensive Land Use Plan
c. Market surveys
d. Previous related studies
2. Primary Data on Biophysical Resources
 Vegetation survey
 Faunal survey
 Soil and water survey
3. Primary Data on Social Resources
 Understanding profile
 Needs and aspirations
 Problems and potentials
4. Data Validation
 Consultative meetings and workshops

Assessment 2:

What are the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats you have observe in the
municipality of El Nido.

Reference

Cruz, Riel G. (2017) Ecotourism.

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