Macapinlae, Angela M. <br/><br/>
Tourism Carrying Capacity Assessment Of Sasmuan Pampanga Coastal Wetlands And Its Relevance To Sustainable Tourism  [manuscript] / 
Macapinlae, Angela M. 
 - Magalang, Pampanga :  Pampanga State Agricultural University,  June 2023. 
 - xv, 122 leaves ;  28 cm + 1computer disc (4 3/4 inch) 
<br/><br/> ABSTRACT  Macapinlae, Angela M. May 2023. TOURISM CARRYING CAPACITY  ASSESSMENT OF SASMUAN PAMPANGA COASTAL WETLANDS AND ITS  RELEVANCE TO SUSTAINABLE TOURISM. Pampanga State Agricultural  University.  Adviser: Gerald M. Salas, Ph. D.  Wetlands are becoming popular as important tourist destinations due to their unique  natural beauty and diverse wildlife. These vital ecosystems are at risk from the unregulated  and unsustainable tourist visits that cause detrimental effects on the environment and host  communities. Hence, sustainable planning and management approaches should be  considered. This study used Boullon's Carrying Capacity Mathematical Model adopted  from the Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau for computing the Tourism  Carrying Capacity (TCC) of Sasmuan Pampanga Coastal Wetlands. Data on the parameters  needed in TCC were collected through Key Informant Interviews, direct observation of the  site, and a questionnaire-based survey for the tourism-related preferences and residents'  perceived impact of tourism activities. The Real Carrying Capacity per day was found to  be a total of 13 boats and 156 visitors for fishing activity on the river stretch of Barangay  Batang 2nd, 14 visitors in the Batang 2nd Staging Area, while 420 visitors for aquaculture  farm fishing I and 317 visitors in aquaculture farm fishing II, while 8 visitors for bangus  feeding I and a total of 9 visitors for bangus feeding II. Only 5 visitors were allowed for  birdwatching and 65 visitors for swimming activity. The results revealed that present  visitations in these activities are still below the carrying capacity. For descriptive statistics,  three-hundred fifly (350) respondents from five coastal barangays of SPCW were  purposively selected. Results showed that respondents perceived tourism activities have a  positive impact and equal perceptions in ccological (62.00%), cconomic (59,71%), social  (59.71%), and visitor experiences aspects (50.86%). However, tourism activities in the area  are perceived to have a negative impact on SPCW's local facilities (54.00%). Thus, local  government should address the possible negative impacts of tourism activities and manage  the carrying capacity for sustainable tourism.