Rural tourism and community liveihoods : the case of an island agricultural landscape in Masbate, Philippines | |
| Author | Asilum, Jofer Bunan |
| Call Number | AIT RSPR no.NR-23-01 |
| Subject(s) | Rural tourism--Philippines Agricultural--Landscape mangement--Philippines |
| Note | A research study submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Natural Resources Management, School of Environment, Resources and Development |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Series Statement | Research studies project report ; no. NR-23-01 |
| Abstract | Rural tourism is a widely used tool for agricultural landscape management. However, little to no attention has been given to rural tourism in agricultural landscapes situated in island contexts that have specific socioeconomic challenges generally brought about by their insularity and remoteness. Centered on the case of the Luacan Agricultural Landscape in the Province of Masbate, Philippines, this study evaluated rural tourism’s effectiveness in enhancing community livelihoods using a mixed-methods approach. Particularly, it examined the effects of the community’s socioeconomic conditions and the existing governance mechanisms on their livelihoods and their participation in rural tourism using various logistic regression techniques, while it analyzed the impacts of rural tourism on their livelihoods using treatment effects analysis. The results show that rural tourism significantly contributed to a 0.20-unit increase in the inhabitants’ level of access to savings, which became their most important platform to access other capital assets. Females, non-household heads, and employed individuals with no access to financial institutions are generally disadvantaged in improving their access to livelihood capital assets. Meanwhile, in terms of participation, the people participate merely for material incentives or to meet institutional requirements, and thus, they are generally more likely to be aware of rural tourism activities but have not participated in them. Males, non-household heads, migrants, and unemployed individuals are generally less likely to participate in rural tourism activities. The top-down governance mechanisms surrounding the agricultural landscape, common in peripheral island provinces in the Philippines, resulted in the inhabitants’ poor involvement in decision-making processes. Such an arrangement made them perceive that regulating the use of the resource minimizes their capacity to improve their access to various assets, especially natural capital. It also discouraged them from participating in rural tourism activities. Considering these findings, effective adherence to Ostrom’s Design Principles in managing the Luacan Agricultural Landscape is recommended to ensure that the benefits of rural tourism are evenly distributed to community members and to encourage greater community participation in its activities. |
| Year | 2023 |
| Corresponding Series Added Entry | Asian Institute of Technology. Research studies project report ; no. NR-23-01 |
| Type | Research Study Project Report (RSPR) |
| School | School of Environment, Resources, and Development |
| Department | Department of Development and Sustainability (DDS) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Natural Resources Management (NRM) |
| Chairperson(s) | Shrestha, Rajendra Prasad; |
| Examination Committee(s) | Sasaki, Nophea;Tsusaka, Takuji W.; |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst (DAAD), Germany; |
| Degree | Research Studies Project Report (M. Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2023 |