MALCAPUYA ISLAND
Tourism and Economic Development

In 2002, tourism contributed 8.7 percent of National GDP and created about five million jobs and livelihood opportunities. Moreover, the Medium-Term Philippine Development Plan identified tourism as one of the pillars of the country’s economic program and it is this stature that made it imperative that the 1991-2010 Philippine Tourism Master Plan’s (TMP’s) main goals were attained. The main goals of the TMP are:

• Optimize the contribution of tourism to economic growth at the national and regional levels
• Enhance and contribute to social cohesion and cultural preservation at the local level
• Develop tourism on an environmentally sustainable basis, and
• Develop a diversity of destinations, attractions, and markets to minimize exposure to external threats to the tourism industry.

It can be observed from the objectives of the Tourism Master Plan that tourism is an endeavor that is not limited to its economic dimension but one that cuts across other sectors such as socio-cultural and environmental management.