Cultural Landscape Insights Volume 2, Issue 1 24 ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Article History: Received: Dec-21-2023 Revised: Mar-14-2024 Accepted: Mar-25-2024 Corresponding Author: Keywords: Digital Tourism, Public Policy, New Normal, Resorts, COVID–19. ISSN: 2995-6129 Available online at https://www.guinnesspress.org Cultural Landscape Insights Volume 2. Issue 1, PP: 24-33 DOI: 10.59762/cli901324532120240305152954 Relationship of digital tourism strategies and performance of beach and water-themed resorts in MISAMIS ORIENTAL amidst the new normal Bert Anthony S. Bade* Capitol University Graduate School, Accredited Regional Tour Guide of Department of Tourism Region X, Philippines Bert Anthony S. Bade, Capitol University Graduate School, Accredited Regional Tour Guide of Department of Tourism Region X, Philippines. badebertanthony@yahoo.com.ph Tourism is one of the industries hardest hit by COVID–19, and the Department of Tourism suggested digital tourism as one way of stimulating, at least, domestic travel. This study sought to determine the actions of resorts and the government interven- tions about it. The study applied mixed methods of research, to- tal sampling population, and hybrid interview considering travel restrictions using a validated self-made questionnaire. The study was conducted in Northern Mindanao, Philippines. The respon- dents of the study were employees of beach and water-themed resorts and municipal tourism officers. The findings of the study revealed low usage of digital tourism strategies and poor tour- ism performance, a significant difference in digital tourism strat- egies of the resorts and their employees when grouped according to profile, and a significant relationship between digital tourism strategies and the tourism performance of the resorts. Policy gaps were also discovered. The study concludes that the level of usage of digital tourism strategies can only do so much given the status quo. Hence, recommendations for the enhancement of digital tourism strategies are suggested since they align with the state’s existing medium- and long-term development plans. INTRODUCTION Rationale With tourism on the brink of collapse, DOT re- sorted to digital tourism – the integration of tour- ism and digitalization to create a new business and marketing model (Happ & Horváth, 2018). A study by Centeno and Marquez (2020) rejoined such a statement with an estimated earning loss of Php170.5 billion pesos for the tourism indus- try. It recommended the same steps DOT is push- ing – allowing conditional domestic travel. With all the right reasons not to travel and partake in tourism activities in times of an imminent health threat still lurking around and movement restric- tions still enforced, digital tourism can influence purchase intentions (Shaof et al., 2016; Dhore & Goble, 2018), and eventually reinvigorate the economy (Anandasayanan, 2020). In Misamis Oriental, tourism resorts have already made steps in digital tourism. When the province was placed on Modified General Community Quaran- tine, the provincial tourism felt the resurgence of