Potential of San Fernando Province of Romblon as Ecotourism Destination

Abstract

Sibuyan Island, deemed as Galapagos of Asia, is rich in flora and fauna were some are endemic to the place. These opens the door of opportunity for ecotourism industry. Thus, this study was conducted to determine the potential of San Fernando, Romblon on becoming an ecotourism destination. It also aims to identify different sites favorable for the industry and classify it as focal, complementary and support attraction. Guided by enhanced Ecotourism Opportunity Spectrum (ECOS), the study focused on biological-physical, socio-cultural, historical-archeological, and economic structure. Questionnaires and interviews was utilized to gather relevant data. Results revealed that there were numerous sites in the area identified as focal and complementary attractions. Identified ecotourism sites have a thick forest and diverse wildlife. However, the municipality has limited dinning places and recreational activities. Plant and animal production was low making supply not enough to cover the demand needed, while transportation infrastructure and healthcare services are limited. Despite those facts, the weighted mean of 3.86 for ecotourism potential and the ECOS point of 69 suggests that San Fernando Romblon has strong potential for ecotourism industry. To increase its potential it is recommended that the Local Government Unit together with the Non-Governmental Organizations and other stakeholders should work hand in hand to improve the services and facilities of the ecotourism site, address the problem in supply of plant and animal products, and improve tourism infrastructure.