Harnessing Collaborative Efforts for Tourism Development

The Boracay before. Several decades ago, Boracay has been tagged as one of the finest beaches in Asia. This destination served as a cradle for tourists who wanted relaxation and nature appreciation. It was visited mainly because of its pristine beauty and powdery white sand beaches. However, when a German writer published a book revealing the paradise of Boracay, the tourists began arriving ("History of Boracay," 2012).

The Boracay now. Recently, it ranked number two (2) in the Top 10 Party Beaches Around The World (2012) by The Huffington Post. An avenue for fire dancing shows and fireworks, live bands and parties, Boracay is very lively at night. The former quiet nights of Boracay were then transformed into a place for party-goers.

Boracay's current situation. Unfortunately, the uncontrollable influx of tourists imposes a great impact on its natural environment. This scenario captured the interest of the media - one of which is I—Witness' Ang Tagong Boracay hosted by Howie Severino. This is a kind of "social change documentary" which as defined by Amma Marfo (2007) "is sometimes a hybrid between political and human interest and tells stories in hopes of changing aspects of the society." Furthermore, Larry Daressa asserted that "a social change media can serve as a frame and forum for the exfoliation of alternative civic discourses, communities and social movements." Studies show that this documentary as a form of media, aims not only to build awareness and to show the real situation in Boracay; but it also acts an instrument for the government and general public to address issues reactively and/or proactively.

Tourists' motivations. In spite of the conscious efforts of media, tourists still want to visit Boracay. Going back to the theories of Maslow, Schmoll, et al. there are many reasons why people travel. In the case of Boracay visitors, their travel motivations overpower their knowledge on the destination itself. Even though they know that Boracay's waters are unsafe, most of the times, tourists only think of their personal and social satisfaction. As observed in a social networking site, having visited Boracay implicitly creates a status symbol that makes people feel that they ‘keep up with the trend' and thus, making them feel more acceptable to the public. Basically, because they act as consumers of the tourism products, they do not care much about destination. When they reached Boracay, they pay the environmental fees and taxes. It results to the idea of passing the responsibility of maintaining the island to the establishments and the government.

Typically, tourism planners create and propose great ideas to achieve tourism sustainable development. However, when a master plan is submitted, the government cannot fully perform its duty to execute the ‘ideal ideas' and to implement policies. The governing body should set as an example