Addressing barriers such as inadequate infrastructures, inconsistent regulations and lack of supportive policies are crucial to ensuring the success and viability of agroecotourism ventures, according to a study by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS).
PIDS authors led by Jerelyn Bacalso-Medalla, a faculty member of the College of Agriculture’s Agribusiness Program at Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan, in a policy note said that adopting a community-based approach can make agriculture and tourism sustainable and thriving.
Bacalso-Medalla said community-based agroecotourism generates socioeconomic benefits, such as job opportunities, income diversification, and prospects for entrepreneurship, which reduce poverty and improve living standards.
“The revenue from agroecotourism can be reinvested in community development, including infrastructure, education, and health care, thereby enhancing overall well-being,” she said.
Bacalso-Medalla said it is important to continue and enhance government projects, such as building road infrastructures, to improve access to tourism areas.
The policy note is based on the author's research exploring the viability of community-based agroecotourism for an integrated sustainable farming system in Barangay Lantud in Talakag, Bukidnon.
The study investigated the community's sociodemographic characteristics and current assets, residents’ perceptions of community-based agro-ecotourism, and the area’s potential market niche for agro-ecotourism.
In terms of weaknesses or challenges, Bacalso-Medalla said the community identified poor public services and transport infrastructures such as farm-to-market roads, water systems, health clinics, other basic facilities; poor links among food, energy, forestry, economic growth, and ecotourism; and lack of capital and livelihood training.
