Empowering Community Organizations in Rural Destinations: Challenges and Lessons from COVID-19

Stakeholder engagement has been regarded as an important strategy towards the attainment of sustainable tourism development. Responsible tourism also highlights its importance, valuing the potential role individuals and groups partake in resolving problems and issues concerning tourism. However, despite these well-meaning approaches, rural communities who engage in tourism livelihoods are often faced with challenges that impedes them from fully having empowered voices and choices. Using the principles of people-centered development and community organizing as the lens of analysis, this case study examined the experience of community organizations in Cagbalete Island, Philippines as tourism stakeholders of a rural island destination. Findings showed that despite their active participation in trainings and programs initiated by the local government, the organizations were lacking in resources and self-defined activities to improve their collective welfare. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, many organizations had a hard time keeping their purpose due to the lack of tourism activities in the island, as well as their dependence on government directives and programs. This study underscores the value of applying community development approaches to enrich the participation of community organizations and empower them to be responsible stakeholders in the sustainable development of their respective destinations.