Forms of Tourism

• The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) defines tourism as traveling to and staying in places outside the usual environment for business, leisure, and other purposes.
• The tourism industry aims to provide enjoyment and pleasurable experiences that stimulate economic development.
• Concepts, like the forms of tourism, help understand services and products in the tourism and hospitality industry.

Different Forms of Tourism

• Domestic tourism involves residents traveling within their own country.
• Inbound tourism involves non-residents traveling to a specific country.
• Outbound tourism involves residents traveling to another country.
• International tourism includes both inbound and outbound tourism, involving resident visitors outside their country and non-resident visitors within the country.
• International tourism also refers to arrivals and departures in a country.

Other Forms of Tourism

• Tourism types have expanded based on tourist interests, creating diverse niche-oriented tours.
• Mass tourism involves many people visiting the same place, often at the same time, and is a popular and cheap vacation option, often sold as package deals.
• Alternative tourism is the opposite of mass tours, taking tourists outside usual destinations to secluded areas, and can require tourists to arrange their own flights and accommodations
• Leisure tourism involves spending free time on leisure activities in tourist attractions for a change of environment, new experiences, or relaxation.
• Business tourism involves travel for business purposes, such as attending conferences or exhibitions.
• Cultural and heritage tourism allows tourists to experience a community's cultural environments, traditions, and lifestyle, including festivals, banquets, and historical sites.
• Adventure tourism involves physical activity in nature, such as backpacking, camping, cycling, mountain climbing, and water sports.
• Wildlife tourism involves observing or encountering wildlife, including passive observation, feeding, or touching species, and helps restore habitat, conservation breeding, research, and monitoring.
• Health and wellness tourism aims to maintain or restore health through physical and psychological activities, like fitness boot camps, yoga retreats, and spa experiences.
• A primary concern of health and wellness tourism is travelers seeking medical care in a different location

Classifications of Tourist Attractions

• An attraction is a permanent resource managed for enjoyment, amusement, entertainment, and education.
• Attractions are classified into natural, man-made, and events.

Natural Attractions

• Natural attractions are created by nature, such as geographical or geological features.
• Mountains are natural elevations with peaks, often in ranges, visited for hiking, skiing, and scenery.
• Beaches are sandy or stone areas near water bodies, popular for recreation, leisure, or business.
• Islands are land surrounded by water that appeal to tourists seeking remoteness, relieving pressure off the mainland.
• Waterfalls are where water drops from a height, offering activities like bungee jumping, water rafting, and swimming.
• Caves are holes in hills, cliffs, or underground, created by weathering and erosion, visited for limestone formations and activities like caving and diving.

Man-Made Attractions

• Man-made attractions are created by humans for tourism or adapted for it.
  • Purpose-built attractions are specifically developed for tourism, such as theme parks, zoos, and art galleries.
  • Attractions built for other purposes are adapted for tourism due to historical or cultural significance, like restored or protected buildings and areas.

Events

• Events, like festivals and the Olympics, attract many tourists to an area.
• Events enhance tourist attractions by adding life to various spaces, making them more appealing and generating income, jobs, and wealth.

Tourism in the Philippines

• The Philippines is home to natural wonders like mountains, rainforests, rivers, and beaches.
• Becoming a tour guide requires understanding a place's geography and culture.

Areas of Interest in the Phillippines

National Capital Region (NCR)

• NCR offers a mix of past and present.
• Tour guides take guests to parks, museums, landmarks, clubs, amusement centers, and casinos.
• Traffic is a concern, and guides should plan routes and be familiar with navigating the city.

Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR)

• CAR is a mountainous region with diverse ethnic tribes and cultures.
• Guides should seek permission from tribe members and consult before sightseeing to minimize disruptions
• Many rural destinations and trekking spots are available for nature and adventure tourists.

Ilocos Region (Region I)

• The Ilocos region has a rich culture and cuisine.
• Tour guiding requires familiarity with ancestral sites and culinary tastes.
• Ilocos is home to natural landscapes.

Cagayan Valley (Region II)

• Tours in Cagayan Valley require guides to be healthy and energetic.
• Guides should be familiar with safety measures due to risks in nature and adventure activities in mountains, rivers, and falls.

Central Luzon (Region III)

• Central Luzon, known as "The Rice Granary of the Philippines," features mountain peaks, waterfalls, and beaches.
• Guides take guests to the impressive Ditumabo waterfall and Corregidor Island.

Southern Luzon (Region IV-A)

• CALABARZON is known for its history and tradition.
• Guides should be creative in telling the region's story, showcasing old churches, monuments, museums, and native products.
• MIMAROPA is a destination for nature lovers.
• Is characterized by pristine beaches, waterfalls, caves, and wildlife safari parks.
• Guides should have a good hold of the region's geography.

Bicol (Region V)

• Bicol is a premier tourist destination with old churches, volcanoes, mountain ranges, and aquatic resources.
• Guides should be outgoing and versatile.

Western Visayas (Region VI)

• Western Visayas has lush beaches, lively festivals, historical museums, and Spanish colonial churches.
• Guides should know the area's geography and events.

Central Visayas (Region VII)

• Central Visayas features luxurious hotels, old churches, and Spanish colonial houses.
• Guides should research and include the region's geography and culture.

Eastern Visayas (Region VIII)

• Eastern Visayas is for campers, trekkers, and adventure tourists.
• Features lavish landscapes, caves, waterfalls, springs, and mountain ranges.
• Ecotourism has also becoming a mainstream destination because of conservation.

Zamboanga Peninsula (Region IX)

• Zamboanga Peninsula is ideal for cultural tourists.
• Guides must design tours with rich commentaries on ethnic communities.

Northern Mindanao (Region X)

• Northern Mindanao has a cool climate, and various scenery.
• One of the best attractions is an up-close encounter with nature.
• Guides must be aware of conflict hotspots and clearances when tourists safety is questionable.

Southern Mindanao (Region XII)

• Southern Mindanao is home to Mount Apo, the country's highest peak.

• Guides should know about risks and administer first aid in emergencies.

• Adventure activities are available such as Samal Island, Eden Nature Park, Crocodile Park, and Philippine Eagle Center.

• The Philippines consists of 17 regions: 8 in Luzon, 3 in the Visayas, and 6 in Mindanao.

• Region XII: SOCCSKSARGEN, Region XIII: Caraga, BARMM, and Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) are not local government units but serve administrative purposes.