Tourism Officers Meet @18

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TOURISM: Key Driver to Economic Growth














            In the recent gathering of about 1,152 tourism officers and officials of different local government units in the Philippines in Ioilo City, USEC. Alma Rita D. Jimenez, Undersecretary for Tourism Regulation, Coordination and Resource Generation delivered a very interesting message on the importance of tourism in the country. Revenue earned on inbound visitors in 2016 reached Php 313.6 Billion, Domestic visitors as well expenditure reached Php 2.1 Trillion with a 9.29 average length of stay each tourist and an average daily expense of $100.23.

            Top Foreign Market in the country was visitors from the United States of America, Australia, Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, Singapore, Canada, United Kingdom and Malaysia.

            She also mentioned accessibility wherein 98.79% of visitors travelled by air, 90.20% were independent travellers who booked tours, tickets and hotels online with 53.40% visiting the country more than once. We have 216,088 rooms and 9,329 accommodation establishments according to the 2015 survey of accommodation establishments. Economic boost was indeed felt especially with the creation of jobs. In 2015 about 5 million Filipinos worked in the tourism industry and have increased to 5.3 million in 2017 out of the total Philippine population recorded in 2016 at 102,467,483.

            Usec. Jimenez said that Sustainability is in US, doing MORE good NOT just LESS harm. She further motivated us in the Local Government Units that indeed LGUS CAN which meant Law and Order, Good Governance, Up skilling, Sustainability and to Capacitate Activate and Nurture a culture of tourism in the community.
 
            With this, the delegates of the convention went into an Immersion Tour of the towns around the province of Iloilo. More than ten buses went to different destinations, with the Association of Tourism Officers of Negros Occidental, we decided to visit the agr-ecotourism destinations. First stop was the Iloilo Rice Processing Complex in the town of Pototan wherein we had a tour of the Drying Area , with the white rice area which can mill 2.5 tons of rice per hour, and the brown rice with a hulling capacity of 3 tons per hour, we bought 2 kilo bags of black rice at a reasonable price. Then we went to the town of Badiangan to the Ephrathah Farms which is a resort and farm at the same time, there were cottages, swimming pools, the flowers in bloom welcomed us in this non smoking resort , a place ideal for family and team building where facilities are available such as a glass chapel, a basketball court, amphitheatre, mini zoo, campsite, butterfly farm, training room and a restaurant , Mayor Serafin Villa, Jr. hosted snacks for the delagates at the farm.. Then we went to Damires Hills Tierra Verde another place for ecotourism and adventure with accommodation facilities, a swimming pool and a view of the mountain , and they serve good food as well with all officials  headed by Mayor Jose de Paula and Vice Mayor Joseph Lutero. We also visited the town of Lambunao with Tourism Officer Jennifer Osorio, home of the Binanog Festival, performers danced in the street and right by the river while we were able to walk on a hanging bridge, they also have a wild life conservation park named Mari-it, home to endangered species like the warty pig, a cloud rat, blue headed racquet tailed parrot, and the hornbill, spotted deer and civet cats. 
 


It rained hard when we arrived at Lambunao and even at Calinog town, our last stop which was indeed heart-warming to see street dancers of Tribu Burulakaw, Banaag and the performance of BQSA pupils headed by Vice Mayor Rene Hurtada and the SB members with National Living Treasure Panay-Bukidnon Federico Caballero. 



A native delicacy of puto, ibus, cassava, with coffee was served while they entertained us with the local dances. It was seven in the evening when we arrived, yet the 12 hour tour of the towns , experiencing the hospitality of the LGUs and their active participation in hosting the delegates of the ATOP National Convention is an indication that indeed our leaders have realized how tourism can be important as an economic driver for the country.

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