Theoretical and Critical Essays THE

A N TO N I N U S
RESEARCH AND SCHOLARSHIP DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC JOURNAL

COVIDified tourism: The future of Philippine cultural heritage tourism

John Christopher B. Mesana1,4 and Allan B. de Guzman1,2,3

1TheGraduate School, University of Santo Tomas

2 Research Center for Social Sciences and Education, University of Santo Tomas
3 College of Tourism and Hospitality Management, University of Santo Tomas
4Senior High School Department, Colegio de San Juan de Letran

johnmesana@gmail.com; abdeguzman@ust.edu.ph

The power of tourism in transforming the Philippine economic landscape cannot be underestimated. Its
economic share of 12.7% in 2018 alone (Philippine Statistics Authority, 2019) vis-à-vis the 245 billion peso
receipts from international visitors in the first half of 2019 (Department of Tourism, 2019a) hold great promises
for the country. Considering the inclusion of six of the country’s natural and cultural heritage sites under
UNESCO World Heritage List, the Department of Tourism (DOT) has recognized the strength of the cultural
heritage sector thus prompted assessments of its maximization (Rocamora, 2018), as cultural heritage tourism is
a tool to gain economic growth through attracting visitors from outside a host community who are strongly driven
or in part by interest in the historical, artistic, scientific or lifestyle/heritage offerings of a community, region,
group or institution (Silberberg, 1995)

However, the perils that the COVID-19 global health crisis brings have affected practically all sectors of
society. With tourism as one of the hardest hit sectors (Kravchenko, 2020), an estimated 20-30% decline in
tourist arrivals in 2020 and an overwhelming 5-7-year loss in the number of tourists are expected (UNWTO)
(2020c). Of the 167 state parties with heritage properties, 17 kept their sites open, 29 have partially closed, and
121 have closed sites totally including South East Asian countries to control virus transmission (UNESCO, 2020).
Undoubtedly, the macro and micro level consequences of the crisis has COVIDified the tourism sector. The
COVIDification (de Guzman, 2020) of the tourism sector entails the collective identification of ‘new normal’ and
customized thinking, practices and policies that make tourism activities novel, engaging, and enriching to tourists.

Given the temporarily closures of cultural heritage sites in the country, vital mitigating measures are
needed. The Philippine Tourism Response and Recovery Program provides incentives to affected sectors, a
moratorium on accreditation fees and waiving participation fees for international fairs and exhibitions
(Department of Tourism, 2020b). While these mitigating moves on cultural heritage tourism and tourism as a
whole could partially improve the situation for the time being, the “new normal” which prohibits travelling for
leisure and mass gatherings in the meantime may bring into test the sustainability of cultural heritage tourism in
the country.

The passive and active methods used to mitigate the effects of the 2002 SARS virus on the tourism industry
may be tried out in the recent pandemic. These included visual postings, public address announcements,
distributing health alert notices, disseminating survey questionnaires to assess symptoms and possible exposure,
visual inspection to detect symptoms and thermal scanning (Wilder-Smith, 2006). However, given the recent

Published by The Graduate School, UST Manila

Mesana, J.C.B. & de Guzman, A.B. The Antoninus Journal 2021

pandemic context where the virus causes more severe disease with no current available drug or vaccine and
spreads rapidly yet can be contained calling for strict distancing measures (World Health Organization, 2020).
Arguably, the SARS tourism actions and methods may call for a more intensified COVIDified set of methods.

The COVIDified tourism mitigating actions may include strengthening and promoting domestic travels as
a temporary replacement for international travel to augment the situation. While this step could promote emotional
solidarity through social contact (Joo et al., 2018) among local communities, Kravchenko (2020) argues that this
may raise issues on foreign currency revenues. Virtual tours on cultural heritage sites are also seen as beneficial
in light of travel bans and strict social distancing measures. For example, Intramuros, a tourist site in Manila, has
settled to virtual tours to continually provide cultural experiences to its visitors via cellular phones during the
enhanced community quarantine (Adel, 2020). Virtual tours may also come with digital tour-guiding to provide
income for affected tour-guides. Online-selling of cultural products may be piloted to ensure the “business as
usual or BAU” dictum. In terms of health, besides constructing facilities for efficient testing and monitoring,
issuance of health certificates from incoming visitors, health clearances for the host country and health insurances
can be recommended at the policy level (Kravchenko, 2020). Strengthening tourism related-jobs like skills
development, providing stimulus recovery in the form of financial aids, and preparing for tomorrow by putting
the tourism sector in the front-line once the health crisis ends to boost once again the economy of a community
(United Nations World Tourism Organization, 2020b) may be carried out. Ultimately, the cooperation and
systemic and systematic exchange of information and ideas between the national and local government units,
primarily the health and tourism sector and the host community of cultural heritage sites and events could inspire
other COVIDified and renewed tourism actions and studies that are resilient, sustainable and replicable.

References
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