The Impact of Water Supply on the Tourist Experience in Del Carmen, Surigao Del Norte
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65339/ijsis.V1.I4.278Keywords:
Collaborative Governance, Del Carmen, Sustainable Tourism, Tourist Experience, Water Conservation, Water Supply, Water SustainabilityAbstract
This study assessed water supply conditions and their relationship with tourist experience in Del Carmen, Surigao del Norte, Philippines, and identified existing water scarcity mitigation strategies. A convergent parallel mixed-methods design was employed, involving 200 tourists selected through criterion sampling and 20 purposively selected tourism stakeholders and local government personnel. Data were collected using a researcher-developed questionnaire and semi-structured interviews and analyzed through descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and thematic analysis. Findings revealed satisfactory water supply conditions (M = 3.01, SD = 0.50) and a high positive perceived impact on tourist experience (M = 3.02, SD = 0.50). A very strong, statistically significant positive correlation (r = 0.899, p < .001) indicated that favorable water supply perceptions were associated with better tourist experiences. Qualitative findings identified infrastructure improvement, water source protection, wastewater management, conservation, and collaborative governance as key mitigation strategies. The study concluded that reliable water services are essential to satisfactory tourism experiences and sustainable destination management. It recommends implementing the proposed AQUA-CARE Del Carmen Program to strengthen water quality monitoring, infrastructure maintenance, conservation, and stakeholder coordination. Limitations included reliance on self-reported perceptions, the absence of laboratory water-quality testing, and the inability to establish causality. The findings contribute localized evidence supporting Sustainable Development Goals 6, 8, 11, 12, and 17 by informing responsible water management, resilient tourism services, environmental protection, and collaborative sustainable tourism planning.
References
Calderon, M. M., Codilan, A. L., Dida, J. J. V., Palma-Torres, V. M., Alducente, A. M. S., & Pred, C. D. (2025). Potential contribution of tourism for groundwater conservation in Mt. Makiling, the Philippines. Philippine Journal of Science, 154(2), 263–276. https://doi.org/10.56899/154.02.04 DOI: https://doi.org/10.56899/154.02.04
Department of Science and Technology–Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development. (2019, February 4). DOST-PCIEERD tech cleans Siargao Island's domestic wastewater. DOST-PCIEERD.
Emuy, E. V., Alvar, R., Culipapa, P. D. C., & Gadjamel, I. D. (2024). Tourist satisfaction and destination loyalty on beach resorts. International Journal of Tourism and Hotel Management, 6(1), 8–11. https://doi.org/10.22271/27069583.2024.v6.i1a.80 DOI: https://doi.org/10.22271/27069583.2024.v6.i1a.80
Hadinejad, A., Moyle, B. D., Scott, N., Kralj, A., & Nunkoo, R. (2022). Are water-centric themes in sustainable tourism research congruent with the UN Sustainable Development Goals? Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 30(8), 1821–1836. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2021.1993233 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2021.1993233
Howard, G., Bartram, J., Williams, A., Overbo, A., Fuente, D., & Geere, J.-A. (2022). Domestic water quantity, service level and health (2nd ed.). World Health Organization. https://doi.org/10.2471/9789240015241
Ledesma, J. V., Penetrante, M. O. T., & Hernandez, C. N. (2022). Determinants of tourists' satisfaction: The case of DOT accredited accommodation establishments in the Province of Capiz, Philippines. Central Philippine University Multidisciplinary Research Journal, 1(1), 14–24.
Musico, S. E., & Pelmin, M. A. (2025). The benefits and drawbacks of sustainable tourism in Siargao Islands, Philippines: An exploratory inquiry. Journal of Interdisciplinary Perspectives, 3(6). DOI: https://doi.org/10.69569/jip.2025.260
Nguyen, T. T. H., et al. (2024). Exploring guests’ satisfaction and dissatisfaction with homestay experiences: A netnographic study of a rural tourism destination in Vietnam. Journal of Quality Assurance in Hospitality & Tourism. https://doi.org/10.1080/15256480.2024.2350005 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/15256480.2024.2350005
Philippine Statistics Authority. (2022, July 28). Water and energy consumption, carbon dioxide emission of tourism remain low in 2021.
Philippine Statistics Authority. (2024, September 19). Tourism's demand for water and energy, and carbon dioxide emission continue to rise in 2023.
Philippine Statistics Authority. (2026, July 2). Tourism's water demand declines, energy use and carbon dioxide emission post year-on-year growths in 2025.
Roxas, F. M. Y., Rivera, J. P. R., & Gutierrez, E. L. M. (2023). Mapping stakeholders’ roles in governing sustainable tourism destinations. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 48, 362–373.
Tiu, W. A. (2023). Environmental assessment of the coastal tourism in General Luna, Siargao Island, Philippines. FAO AGRIS.
Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority. (2022, August 3). Guidelines on the protection and sustainable operation and maintenance of the Boracay Island drainage network.
United Nations World Tourism Organization. (2021, June 22). Technical INSTO webinar on water and wastewater management. https://www.unwto.org/event/technical-insto-webinar-on-water-and-waste-water-management
Vásquez, W. F., Vásquez Ramos, H. E., Rodríguez-Estupiñan, P., Osorio-Cano, J. D., & Ochoa-Herrera, V. (2026). Tourists’ willingness to donate to improve local water services: A contingent valuation study from San Andrés Island, Colombia. Water Economics and Policy, 12(2), 2540007. https://doi.org/10.1142/S2382624X25400077 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1142/S2382624X25400077
World Health Organization. (2022). Guidelines for drinking-water quality: Fourth edition incorporating the first and second addenda.
World Health Organization. (2023, September 13). Drinking-water. https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/drinking-water
World Health Organization. (2024). Guidelines for drinking-water quality: Small water supplies. https://doi.org/10.2471/B09123 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2471/B09123
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Aira A. Espuerta, Mary Grace T. Tomo, Jasmin P. Pobe, Kisha I. Mangitngit, Sophia Bianca E. Dulguime, Chandara Bandala, Maria Lelanie A. Goyonan, PhD (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal the right of first publication. All articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) License. This license permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution, and reproduction in any medium or format, including for commercial purposes, provided that appropriate credit is given to the original author(s) and the journal, a link to the license is provided, and any changes made are indicated.
