Tourism Geographies, Vol.1, No.2, pp. 142-163 (return to Table of Contents for Vol.1)

ENVIRONMENT

Adaptive Use of a Rock Coast for Tourism, Mactan Island, Philippines

P.P. Wong
National University of Singapore

Abstract

Cebu and the adjacent limestone island of Mactan constitute the second most popular tourist destination in the Philippines after Manila. The more exposed southeast side of Mactan has a low rock coast with limited sandy beaches and two lagoons. Since the 1970s, this coast has experienced significant change due to resort development. Based on a survey of the resorts, three types of modification to the rock coast can be identified. The early stage of modification involved the least amount of change to the rock coast. The existing limited sandy beaches were used and sea walls were built where necessary. The middle stage of modification witnessed a variety of coastal structures built to retain the beaches, along with the use of imported sand for beach nourishment. Groins and breakwaters were deployed in various ways to create different resort layouts. The final stage of modification was the excavation of the rock coast and the creation of new and artificial beaches. Mactan's experience shows the potential of low rock coasts for tourism development. The typology of change to the rock coast can be considered as limited, localised and effective modification of the rock coast for resorts. Such uses tend to result in, and reinforce, the enclave character of tourism development along a rock coast, which differs from the prevalent ribbon pattern of tourism development along sandy beaches.

Keywords: coastal tourism, coastal resorts, resort typology, rock coastline, Mactan Island.