Heritage tourism: Status, challenges, and prospects for development in a Congressional District in Iloilo

Abstract

This study examined the status, challenges, and prospects for the development of heritage tourism in the First Congressional District of Iloilo using a survey–correlational design. The purpose was to assess stakeholder perceptions of the five A’s of tourism accommodation, accessibility, attractions, activities, and amenities while identifying differences and relationships across demographic and stakeholder classifications. A total of 100 purposively selected respondents participated, including local government officials and staff, tourism and hospitality entrepreneurs, and residents, all aged 20 to 75 with tertiary education units, travel experience, and visits to at least five heritage attractions. Data were collected from October 2024 to November 2024 using a validated, pilot-tested questionnaire and analyzed through descriptive statistics and inferential tests (Mann–Whitney U, Kruskal–Wallis H, and Spearman’s rho correlation). Findings revealed that attractions were consistently rated excellent, while accommodation, accessibility, activities, and amenities were satisfactory but uneven. Results show most issues on five A’s challenging except issues on activities that appear to be less challenging. Despite these constraints, prospects were encouraging, with most five A’s components rated highly viable except for accessibility which is rated as moderately viable. Significant differences were moderated by age, income, and travel experience, while education and civil status influenced perceptions of challenges. There was no significant difference in the opportunities for heritage tourism development according to classification. Correlation analysis showed that recognition of heritage assets was linked to greater awareness of challenges and that perceiving challenges was associated with stronger optimism about prospects. The study concluded that heritage tourism in Iloilo is resilient and promising, anchored by strong attractions but constrained by uneven supporting services.