Nurturing cultural heritage tourism in the Philippines: Inspiration from Vigan, Filip + Inna, and Fundación Santiago

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Recommended: Explain the importance of cultural tourism

I. What is the significance of heritage tourism?
The Philippines has an exceptional history, spanning pre-colonial era to Spanish, American, and Japanese occupations. These periods left their marks in various forms evident in the country’s culture. For example, the City of Vigan in Ilocos Sur, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of the few Hispanic towns reflecting a unique fusion of Philippine, Oriental, and colonial European architecture. In a country where history is kept alive, cultural heritage tourism means travelling to experience the places that represent the stories of the Filipino people (Einseidel, 2011). This creates the opportunities Einseidel (2011) enumerated: employment opportunities, enterprises, higher property values, and substantial revenues for local governments. Heritage tourism helps preserve a community’s unique character and identity, including its historically relevant assets, natural resources, and eco-systems.
This brief presents the uniqueness of Philippine culture and heritage. It also highlights best practices, opportunities and improvements within heritage tourism. Through this, we aim to revive interest in local culture, not only through education and the sciences (Miralao, 2104), but via tourism channels as well.

II. What are the representations of heritage in the Philippines?
Organizations such as the United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) have been successful in gaining the necessary support to preserve heritage. One of the many heritage sites in the Philippines is Vigan. In 1999, UNESCO tagged it as the best preserved example of Spanish colonial towns in Asia. It represents a unique fusion of Asian building design and construction with colonial architecture...

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... Management.
Santiago, K.S. (2011, December 5). Heritage, tourism, and the bottom line. GMA News Online. Retrieved from http://www.gma network.com/news/story/240613/lifestyle/artandculture/heritage-tourism-and-the-bottom-line Singson-Medina, E.M. (2014). The City of Vigan. A presentation for the Dr. Andrew L. Tan Center for Tourism forum on
Nurturing cultural heritage tourism in the Philippines. Held 27 May 2014 in Asian Institute of Management.
Villalon. A.F. (2012). Shocking state of heritage in the Philippines. Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved from http://lifestyle.inq uirer.net/70452/shocking-state-of-heritage-in-the-philippines Zialcita, F.N. (2014). A discussant for the Dr. Andrew L. Tan Center for Tourism forum on Nurturing cultural heritage tourism in the Philippines. Held 27 May 2014 in Asian Institute of Management, Makati City, Philippines.

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