Philippine E-Journals

The Ifugao Rice Terraces Tourism: Status, Problems and Concerns

Eulalie D. Dulnuan

Discipline: Economics, Business

 

Abstract:

This paper presents the status, problems and future direction of tourism in Ifugao, along with the complexities that result from the dichotomy of doing tourism and conservation at the same time. Tourism in Ifugao has the rice terraces and/or culture as its resource base. While there are five rice terraces cluster which are cited as World Heritage sites, tourism is unevenly spread in the province. It is concentrated in the municipality of Banaue and barely starting in the other Heritage areas. Thus the benefits of tourism are not yet felt in the other Heritage sites. A way forward is to make the tourism master plan that will direct tourism in Ifugao towards sustainable tourism development. This paper concludes that tourism could be a means to maintain tourism and to conserve the culture.