Strategic Shifts
Libad and Panatad: Sustainability of Inarticulated Ritual and Festival and Faith Tourism
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Regina Galang-Danganan
Indigenous rituals and beliefs were already practised in the Central Plain of Luzon, Philippines by Filipino religious practitioners from various nearby areas. This paper aims to present the significance of Libad and Panatad festival in the modern Catholic church in the realm of religious tourism. Ethnographic research approach, archival investigation, focus-group discussion, and face-to-face interview were applied to obtain the holistic outcome of the inquiry. The result reveals that Libad and Panatad ritual is highly sustainable because the devotees of annual celebration are increasing together with foreign participants and pilgrims that paid visits to sacred spaces dedicated to Saint Peter, the Apostle also known as Apu Irung.
Exploring the Local Community's Roles and Strategies to Enhance the Sustainability of a Geopark as a Tourist Attraction View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Jennifer Kim Lian Chan
This paper explores the roles and strategies contributing to the sustainability of geoparks as tourist attractions. Heritage conservation, economic development and community involvement are the three vital aspects in geopark development. The geopark areas present extensive opportunities for the local community to participate in tourism businesses and yield economic benefits. Nevertheless, there is a scarcity of insights into the roles and strategies employed by the local community for the sustainable development of the geopark as a tourist attraction. Employing an inductive qualitative research approach, interviews were conducted with a total of forty respondents across three districts within the Kinabalu UNESCO Global Geopark from June to September 2023. Thematic data analysis revealed emerging themes from the interview responses. Findings underscore the pivotal role of community engagement and collaboration in ensuring the sustainable development of geoparks within their respective districts. Other identified roles encompass the significance of enforcement, conservation, and environmental protection, as well as the crucial role of raising awareness and involvement in sustainable training and employment opportunities within the community. A spectrum of strategies aimed at fostering sustainable geopark development emerged, including cooperation and collaboration within the community and with other agencies, cultivation of competent human capital, promotion and development of tourism, creation of employment opportunities, and the implementation of training and awareness programs. These insights contribute valuable implications for government agencies, providing a foundation for strengthening the sustainability of geoparks and their promotion as tourist destinations.
When My Body Is Not What I Used to Know Anymore: Exploring the Leisure Transition and Leisure Coping Process of Taiwanese Women with Rheumatoid Arthritis
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Li Ju Chen
Leisure is an essential dimension in our life. Leisure could format and maintain oneself, alleviate stress for physical and mental health, enhance interpersonal interactions, and offer opportunities for self-growth. Previous studies focused on the impacts of leisure on different lifespans. Recently, more scholars from a life course perspective have tended to examine the role of leisure and its impacts on people when they encounter life-altering events such as the onset of a severe chronic illness. The purpose of this study is to explore the leisure transition and leisure coping process of Taiwanese women with Rheumatoid Arthritis. A qualitative design with face-to-face semi-structured interviews and autobiography was applied. The study recruited 27 women with Rheumatoid Arthritis in Taiwan to join the study including the author. The interview questions focus on the changes and patterns of their leisure behaviors before and after the onset of the illness, the roles of leisure in their daily life, and what leisure means to them. A theme analysis method was applied to analyze the data. The study enhances the understanding of leisure transition and the leisure coping process. It hopes to increase public attention to the quality of life and leisure facilitation for patients with autoimmune diseases.
