Program Design for Community Impact
BIG IDEAS
Why Public Investments in Tourism Fail to Drive Development: Unlocking Community Potential Through Co-Creation
Public investments in tourism often promise prosperity but deliver uneven outcomes. The traditional model – anchored on expansive resorts, entertainment complexes, and high-profile infrastructure – focuses on metrics such as tourist arrivals and employment rates while neglecting the lived realities of host communities. These projects, though visually transformative, frequently sideline the very people they are meant to uplift. They relegate communities to low-paying roles and disconnect them from decision-making processes, leaving them as passive spectators of a development narrative written by external investors.
The fallout is stark: economic leakage drains profits to external stakeholders, cultural traditions are commodified, and social inequities deepen. Tourism, in its current form, often reduces rich histories and vibrant cultures into marketable tropes, erasing the authenticity that makes these communities unique. The pursuit of spectacle – a sprawling beachfront hotel, a glowing light show – becomes the emblem of progress, but at what cost?
A Culture of Surface Solutions
Contemporary tourism planning is captivated by novelty. Destinations are rebranded with eye-catching installations, “Instagrammable” murals, or temporary amusements designed to attract mobile tourists. While these may bring momentary attention, they fail to cultivate lasting benefits for host communities. The allure of novelty often overshadows the richness of local creativity, especially when these attractions are externally sourced, diluting the cultural character of a place.
This pursuit of surface-level appeal reflects deeper systemic issues. Tourism destinations increasingly resemble products rather than places—stripped of their essence to fit the global tourist gaze. The focus remains on answering “What’s new in this place?” rather than posing the far more transformative question: “Who have the people of this place become, for them to offer these new experiences?”
This reframing shifts the narrative. It places the emphasis on the evolving creativity, resilience, and ingenuity of the people behind the attractions, rather than the attractions themselves. In doing so, it invites a deeper engagement with the host community—not as passive hosts to transient visitors but as dynamic agents of innovation and culture.
Reclaiming Tourism Through Community Co-Creation
Tourism does not have to perpetuate these inequalities. A shift toward community-centric tourism – grounded in co-creation – offers a pathway to equitable and sustainable development. Co-creation moves beyond imposing attractions and instead involves communities as partners in designing and delivering tourism experiences. It enables them to harness their cultural, historical, and natural assets on their own terms, fostering economic opportunities that reflect their values and priorities.
This approach begins with acknowledging the community’s agency. Instead of merely employing locals in pre-determined roles, co-creation empowers them to envision, design, and manage tourism offerings. This process requires meaningful engagement: workshops, consultations, and participatory planning that centers community voices in decision-making.
Unlocking Hidden Potentials in Tourism
When communities drive tourism development, their creativity and resourcefulness transform traditional tourist experiences into rich, multifaceted journeys.
- Authentic Accommodation: Homestays, eco-lodges, and farm stays provide visitors with immersive experiences, while revenue directly benefits local families.
- Culinary Journeys: Farm-to-table dining and cooking classes highlight sustainable agriculture and create income streams for local farmers and chefs.
- Cultural Heritage Experiences: Guided trails, workshops, and performances celebrate history and tradition, enriching visitors’ understanding while sustaining cultural practitioners.
- Nature-Based Tourism: Community-led eco-tourism activities like hiking, birdwatching, and wildlife tours offer low-impact alternatives that protect natural ecosystems.
These initiatives provide more than economic value: they embed visitors in the rhythms of local life, fostering mutual respect and understanding between tourists and host communities.
The Santa Cruz Blueprint: Co-Creation as a Model of Development
The Municipality of Santa Cruz, Marinduque, envisions itself as a model for co-creation in tourism development, grounded in a Strategic Blueprint which I helped develop and built upon four key principles: Cultural Integrity, Economic Empowerment, Environmental Stewardship, and Community Engagement. Through deep community organizing efforts that are currently underway, Santa Cruz is laying the groundwork to transform its residents from service providers into active co-creators of dynamic and innovative experiences.
This blueprint recognizes that realizing co-creation requires more than infrastructure—it demands meaningful dialogue, skills training, and participatory planning that empower communities to design tourism experiences reflecting their unique identities. The ongoing initiatives aim to unlock the potential for:
- Moryon Camp: Envisioned as an immersive cultural space, this project would blend Roman-inspired architecture with the local Moriones tradition. By involving local artists, historians, and craftspeople in its design and operation, the camp aspires to offer historical reenactments, interactive installations, and costume rentals that generate sustainable livelihoods.
- Tanim Pag-asa: Through active mobilization of local households, backyards could become thriving vegetable gardens that merge sustainable agriculture with agri-tourism. This initiative foresees residents hosting farm-to-table experiences and guided tours, showcasing how food production and tourism can harmonize.
- Gunita: By reimagining the traditional senakulo as a modern cultural festival, this initiative could elevate local artistry and storytelling. Plans include workshops to train performers and craftspeople to anchor the event, creating a dynamic platform that both preserves tradition and attracts tourists.
- ArtVenture: Focused on transforming traditional skills into economic opportunities, this initiative aims to develop wearable art and nature-inspired crafts. By fostering creativity through capacity-building workshops and collaborative design processes, ArtVenture could establish Santa Cruz as a hub of innovative craftsmanship.
Through these activities, Santa Cruz envisions a future where co-creation transforms tourism into a community-led endeavor. The ongoing efforts to organize, capacitate, and inspire residents are foundational to this vision. By aligning development with the four pillars, Santa Cruz positions itself to offer not just experiences, but profound engagements rooted in the resilience, creativity, and aspirations of its people.
This reorientation – driven by strategic planning and deep community involvement – represents a transformative model for how tourism can serve as a catalyst for inclusive, sustainable development.
A Vision for Inclusive Tourism
Reorienting tourism toward community co-creation requires a fundamental shift in how we measure success. Instead of focusing solely on tourist arrivals or infrastructure investments, success should be defined by the empowerment of communities, the preservation of cultural heritage, and the equitable distribution of benefits.
This vision demands long-term investments in capacity building. Communities must be equipped with the skills to lead: from hospitality management and marketing to environmental conservation and cultural storytelling. Such investments create a foundation for sustained, inclusive growth.
When tourism is co-created with communities, it becomes more than an industry, transforming it into a shared endeavor. It celebrates the authenticity of people and places, weaving visitors into the fabric of local life rather than positioning them as detached observers.
In this model, tourism finally fulfills its developmental promise: not as a fleeting spectacle but as a driver of meaningful, community-led transformation.