Integrated Communication of Tourism for Community Mobilization and Sustainability: The Case of Batangas Major Crater-Lake Municipalities

Abstract

Tourism is relatively new in the Philippines yet progressively considered as very valuable and promising in stimulating community participation or involvement and sustainability. Thus, it is important to communicate tourism to communities and their community members.

The aim of the research is to study how communication of tourism can help community mobilization and sustainability at Batangas major crater-lake municipalities. To this end, the research questions are as follows: 1) how do community members perceive the type and characteristics of tourism communicated; 2) how do community members participate in managing and utilizing communication of tourism for community mobilization; and 3) how does communication of tourism influence the knowledge, attitude, skills, practice, and norms (KASPN) of community members for sustainability.

The research questions were answered through interviews of Taal Volcano Protected Area (TVPL) and municipal tourism staff and focus group discussions (FGDs) of community leaders. Document review was conducted for a deeper analysis of the data/information which were later, categorized and coded. It was used for the selective coding to gather data/information concentrated on the messages communicated to the community members. The study shows that the role of communication of tourism is to provide an integrated communication of tourism for community mobilization and sustainability. Communication of tourism shows that the type and characteristics of tourism communicated, as perceived by community members, are mostly related to their economic needs, their local society and culture, and their environment. However, some of the perceptions in some communities at times lack any of the economic, social, or environmental areas but at times were only indirectly mentioned. Community members participate in managing and utilizing communication of tourism for community mobilization through communication interventions or activities. Finally, communication of tourism influenced the knowledge, attitude, skills, practice, and norms. (KASPN) of the community members particularly on the protection of the environment, preservation of society and culture, and income from livelihood or sustainability.

On this basis, it is highly recommended to conduct more research on the role of communication of tourism for other Philippine tourist destinations and attractions for sustainability. Further research can be conducted on how existing tourism communication systems can be further improved and aligned with the other possible sustainability-related goals in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations and the parameters in the Philippine Agenda 21 of the Philippine government.