The Impact of Water Supply on the Tourist Experience in Del Carmen, Surigao Del Norte

This study assessed water supply conditions and their relationship with tourist experience in Del Carmen, Surigao del Norte, Philippines, and identified existing water scarcity mitigation strategies. A convergent parallel mixed-methods design was employed, involving 200 tourists selected through criterion sampling and 20 purposively selected tourism stakeholders and local government personnel. Data were collected using a researcher-developed questionnaire and semi-structured interviews and analyzed through descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and thematic analysis. Findings revealed satisfactory water supply conditions (M = 3.01, SD = 0.50) and a high positive perceived impact on tourist experience (M = 3.02, SD = 0.50). A very strong, statistically significant positive correlation (r = 0.899, p < .001) indicated that favorable water supply perceptions were associated with better tourist experiences. Qualitative findings identified infrastructure improvement, water source protection, wastewater management, conservation, and collaborative governance as key mitigation strategies. The study concluded that reliable water services are essential to satisfactory tourism experiences and sustainable destination management. It recommends implementing the proposed AQUA-CARE Del Carmen Program to strengthen water quality monitoring, infrastructure maintenance, conservation, and stakeholder coordination. Limitations included reliance on self-reported perceptions, the absence of laboratory water-quality testing, and the inability to establish causality. The findings contribute localized evidence supporting Sustainable Development Goals 6, 8, 11, 12, and 17 by informing responsible water management, resilient tourism services, environmental protection, and collaborative sustainable tourism planning.