49 Tourism in Marine Environments, Vol. 10, No. 1–2, pp. 49–70 1544-273X/14 $60.00 + .00 Printed in the USA. All rights reserved. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3727/154427314X14056884441743 Copyright © 2014 Cognizant Comm. Corp. E-ISSN 2169-0197 www.cognizantcommunication.com Address correspondence to Brooke A. Porter, School of Hospitality and Tourism and New Zealand Tourism Research Institute, AUT University, Private Bag 92006, Auckland 1142, New Zealand. E-mail: emailbrookey@gmail.com EXPLORING TOURISM AS A POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR AN ARTISANAL FISHING COMMUNITY IN THE PHILIPPINES: THE CASE OF BARANGAY VICTORY IN BOLINAO BROOKE A. PORTER*† AND MARK B. ORAMS* *School of Hospitality and Tourism and New Zealand Tourism Research Institute, AUT University, Auckland, New Zealand †Marine Science Institute, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines Development strategies for remote artisanal fishing communities in the less developed world often promote tourism as an alternative livelihood. However, little is known regarding the perspectives of fisherfolk in these communities on tourism as a potential livelihood. Furthermore, there is a paucity of research into fisherfolks’ understanding of tourism, how they identify their roles for potential involve- ment in tourism, and their desire to be “developed.” This article reports on a case study of Barangay Victory, a remote fishing-based community in the Bolinao region of the Philippines. Twenty-one face- to-face semistructured interviews were conducted with community members. Methods were grounded within participatory action research and phenomenological inquiry. Interviews were recorded and transcribed. Using a deductive approach, data sets were manually coded and a thematic analysis was conducted. Results demonstrate that residents rely heavily upon marine resources but, despite a reported declining fishery, the majority of fisherfolk remain satisfied with fishing as an occupation. Furthermore, although respondents stated a general willingness to engage in tourism development, the understanding of tourism (both the term itself and its potential role as a livelihood) was minimal. Thus, when considering the potential of tourism as a development strategy, though participant responses were positive, the results from this study have been interpreted as a yes that means a no. This lack of understanding of tourism as well as the expressed contentment with fishing as an occupation needs to be carefully considered when development strategies propose a livelihood shift towards tourism. Key words: Artisanal fishing; Tourism potential; Development strategy; Philippines Introduction Remote coastal communities in the less devel- oped world typically have a high dependence on artisanal local fisheries activities as their primary livelihood (Turner et al., 2007). In many cases these artisanal fishing-dependent communities are experiencing hardship associated with declining