Identifying Tourism Hotspots in Caraga Region through Spatial Clustering Techniques: Basis for Data-Driven Development Insight

Abstract

The Caraga Region, contributing only 2.3% of total domestic tourist arrivals, requires data-driven spatial planning. This study applied the Density-Based Spatial Clustering of Applications with Noise (DBSCAN) algorithm to 8,081 tourism-related Points of Interest (POIs) from the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap (HOTOSM) Philippines repository to identify and map tourism hotspots across Caraga's five provinces. Using optimal parameters of ε = 1.0 km and MinPts = 4, the algorithm identified 196 spatially distinct clusters validated by a Silhouette Score of 0.7555 and Davies-Bouldin Index of 0.2009. Results reveal three spatial patterns coastal concentration, urban hub, and dispersed minor clusters alongside a core-periphery inequality across provinces. Five data-driven development insights are generated for the Department of Tourism, Regional Development Council XIII, and Local Government Units to guide evidence-based, spatially informed, and sustainable regional tourism planning in Caraga.