Bill seeks 30% tourism share for communities

Communities managing tourist destinations could receive at least 30 percent of net tourism revenues under a proposed measure in the House of Representatives aimed at ensuring that local residents directly benefit from tourism activities.

Solid North Party-list Rep. Ching Bernos is pushing House Bill No. 3110, or the Community-Based Tourism (CBT) bill, as the country observes National Tourism Month this September.

The measure calls for transparent revenue-sharing arrangements between local government units and communities, with a minimum of 30 percent of net earnings from community-managed tourism sites earmarked for reinvestment in the community.

“Communities deserve to benefit from the flow of tourism within their areas. That’s why it is only right that communities managing tourist sites get their fair share from tourism revenue,” Bernos said.

The bill also seeks to make community-based tourism part of national and local tourism planning, policymaking and governance, giving communities a more formal role in managing tourism destinations.

It proposes the creation of a Community-Based Tourism Support Program under the Department of Tourism that would provide grants, technical assistance, accreditation and capacity-building support to community-led tourism enterprises.

Bernos said a stronger community-based approach would help ensure that tourism policies reflect conditions on the ground instead of being developed without sufficient consideration of local communities.

“A focus on CBT means we develop policies from the ground up, taking into account not only the specific tourist sites but also the people who will be tasked with managing them,” she said.

The proposed legislation is intended to strengthen community participation while ensuring that tourism revenues help fund the continued development and management of local destinations.