Determination of Carrying Capacity Estimates of Ecotourism Attractions in the Quezon Protected Landscape, the Philippines

Abstract

Protected areas (PAs) are becoming extremely important ecotourism destinations. These areas are at risk from uninformed and unregulated visitors who can cause pollution (air, noise, water, etc.) and alteration of the natural ecosystem processes. An effective ecotourism planning and management approach should consider and define an optimum threshold level for the use of ecotourism attractions while maintaining a sound biophysical and social environment. Although carrying capacity is important in regulating visitor influx, the application and practice of this concept are not currently being observed in Malabayabas Forest, Pinagbanderahan Peak, and Pinagbanderahan Trail, which are the main ecotourism destinations of the Quezon Protected Landscape (QPL) in Atimonan, Quezon Province, the Philippines. This paper focuses on the carrying capacity estimates of these attractions considering site-specific physical, biological/ecological, and social factors. Data on visitation characteristics were collected through a questionnaire-based survey administered to 82 respondents in the months of August and December 2015. The real carrying capacity (RCC) estimates were found to be 289, 25, and 951 visitors for Malabayabas Forest, Pinagbanderahan Peak, and Pinagbanderahan Trail, respectively. The results demonstrated that actual visitations in these attractions are still below the carrying capacity estimates. However, there is still a risk for congestion and overcrowding, particularly during high visitation periods; without these thresholds, the influx of visitors poses serious pressure on the natural resources as well as ecological balance, which may lead to subsequent degradation of the PA. The study results can be used as an input in crafting a responsive visitor management program for QPL. Likewise, it can serve as a model in the determination of carrying capacity for other ecotourism sites in the country