Surf-riding tourism in coastal fishing communities: A comparative case study of two projects from the Philippines

Coastal inhabitants in the less developed world face growing challenges associated with dependence on marine resources in decline. The development of alternative livelihoods is one potential solution to alleviate dependency on fisheries. Tourism continues to be suggested as a potential development strategy for coastal communities, yet surf-riding tourism has received little attention as a means to achieve development goals. This paper documents two unique models currently being applied in remote artisanal fisheries communities within the Philippines. The data used to document the models have been derived from a combination of key informant interviews with surf-riding tourism developers/operators and in situ observations of the surf-riding tourism project operations. Results suggest the positive potential for surf-riding tourism as a development strategy in response to the changing needs of artisanal fishing communities in developing nations. •We documented two surf-riding tourism development projects in the Philippines.•Both projects were designed with intended social and environmental benefits.•Similarities in the two projects included elements of social entrepreneurship, the use of personal private equity.•Neither project made deliberate or explicit attempts to include locals in the planning processes.•We propose two exploratory models that describe the potential of surf-riding tourism as a coastal development strategy.