Beyond Nature Walks: The Everyday Realities of Community-Based Ecotourism Workers in Davao de Oro

Abstract

This qualitative phenomenological study aimed to explore the lived experiences of 17 community-based ecotourism (CBET) workers in Davao de Oro, Philippines. Using purposive and snowball sampling, participants were selected to participate in in-depth interviews. The gathered data were transcribed and analyzed thematically through systematic coding and categorization to identify core themes. The study pursued three main inquiries: lived experiences, coping mechanisms of community-based ecotourism workers with the challenges of everyday realities in the community, and insights shared by participants regarding the benefits and challenges experienced by communities with CBET. Based on the understanding of the lived experiences of CBET workers, seven major themes emerged: embedded local stewardship, shared operational preparedness, cultivating sustainable practices, exhausting resource constraints, encountering difficult tourists, precarious labor realities, and governance power struggles. Concerning the coping mechanisms of CBET Workers with the challenges of everyday realities in the community, three major themes emerged: composed service adaptability, collective issue resolution, and adaptive livelihood practices. Regarding the insights the participants shared about the benefits and challenges experienced by communities with CBET, five major themes emerged: empowered community engagement, shared community resilience, heritage-inspired stewardship, strategic tourism planning, and sustainable development priorities.