WEEK 5: ASSET MAPPING AND RESOURCE AUDIT

The systematic process of identifying, cataloging, and spatial plotting of a destination’s tangible and intangible resources-such as natural wonders, cultural, heritage, local skills, and infrastructure-to guide sustainable planning, community development, and targeted marketing

Tourism Asset Mapping

Key Categories of Tourism Assets

1) Natural Capital

2) Cultural and Historical Heritage

3) Human and Social Capital

4) Physical and Supporting Infrastructure

Core Benefits and Uses

1) Sustainable Planning

2) Community Empowerment

3) Product Diversification

4) Destination Marketing and Wayfinding

Shifts focus from fixing deficits to leveraging local strengths, preventing over-tourism, and environmental degradation

Sustainable Planning

Engages local stakeholders through a bottom-up approach, fostering community-based tourism (CBT), and equitable economic benefits

Community Engagement

Uncovers hidden or under-utilized rural and cultural attractions to create unique, off-the-beaten path itineraries

Product Diversification

Provides clear spatial data for digital platforms, tourist boards, and physical navigation aids

Destination Marketing and Wayfinding

Shifting visitor traffic inland via river cruises and community-led mangrove tours, effectively protecting Panglao from carrying-capacity strain while spreading cash directly to rural municipalities

Eco-Cultural Tourism Cluster

Allows a destination to evaluate its current internal baseline (SWOT) and convert those insights into forward-looking, actionable marketing and development strategies (TOWS)

Tourism SWOT and TOWS Analysis

Internal Factors (Controllable)

1) Strengths

2) Weaknesses

Core physical, cultural, or structural assets that give the destination an edge

Strengths

Internal gaps, bottlenecks, or liabilities that hinder competitive growth

Weaknesses

External Factors (Uncontrollable)

1) Opportunities

2) Threats

Global trends, technological shifts, or macroeconomic changes the destination can capitalize on

Opportunities

Macro-environmental shifts that could disrupt, bypass, or damage the destination

Threats

Use internal strengths to capture external trends

SO Strategies (Maxi-Maxi)

Overcome internal flaws by leveraging external opportunities

WO Strategies (Mini-Maxi)

Use internal strengths to defend against external threats

ST Strategies (Maxi-Mini)

Minimize internal gaps and avoid external threats to survive

WT Strategies (Mini-Mini)