CEBU CITY, Philippines — Tourists these days are no longer content to just sit in a tour bus and be herded like sheep by agitated guides around museums and monuments.

Many of them want to actually do something in the community or country they are visiting.

And the good thing is that they are willing to pay top dollar for the experience, be it to look at birds, ride the waves, explore caves or climb mountains.

This trend can only mean good things for the country's adventure tourism sector, according to Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano, especially since a large part of the tourist money goes directly to the communities.

"Adventure tourism has become an emerging market for the Philippines as it has several destinations that could attract tourists," Durano said at the launch of Islands Banca Cruises.

Adventure tourism involves a physical activity, cultural exchange or interaction with nature. Enthusiasts usually prefer remote destinations, ecologically pristine spots offering unusual features or conditions.

Since adventure tourism requires authentic activities, participation of the community is a major component, Durano noted.

He added that many areas, like the provinces of Cebu, Bohol and Palawan, were in an enviable position to attract tourists.

To help these communities, the Department of Tourism has initiated the Grassroots Entrepreneurship and Employment in Tourism (GREET) program, which aims to fund training and buy equipment for community members willing to promote adventure tourism, such as cave exploration, bird watching, kayaking, surfing and diving.

Durano cited as an example a project in Sohoton National Park in Basey, Samar, which is known for spectacular natural rock formations. The project involved training locals in kayaking services.

In July, the tourism department turned over kayaks and protective gear for the ecotourism product development livelihood project of the Sohoton Services Association undertaken by the community at the Sohoton National Park, which also has caves, subterranean rivers and waterfalls.

Durano said the Department of Tourism had started promoting eco and adventure tourism during an exhibition in Zaragoza, Spain.

He urged other communities to follow the example of Sohoton to make their activities authentic because these are all part of the adventure package. For example, he said, Cebu could promote bird watching, kayaking, diving, snorkeling and island hopping.

The private sector can help in the adventure tourism program by investing in new tourism products to lure visitors, he said. He cited as example the Islands Banca Cruises, which invested an initial P2 million in top-of-the-line outrigger boats to take tourists island-hopping, fish-feeding and diving. With editing by INQUIRER.net