Tuesday, June 19, 2007 Provincial tourism gears for international standards By Gil Alfredo B. Severino
PROVINCIALvincial Tourism Officer and concurrent President of the Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines (Atop) Jennylind Cordero looks forward to more perks in tourism related investments now that the Silay Airport is about to operate.
Cordero has just arrived from Cebu after attending the Cebu Business Month, Asean Tourism Congress and Exhibits where she represented Negros Occidental and as President of Atop.
She admitted that Negros Occidental may not be at par with the country’s Asian neighbors but things can be worked out given existing strengths of the province.
“Among our local tourism officers, coordinative efforts with private and local government units’ (LGU) leadership are now in process. Our focus is in response to the open skies policy of President Arroyo and to a certain extent, the nautical highway which opened our doors to more and more visitors,” Cordero said.
“We need to study economic implications and impact of the Silay airport in reference to the open skies policy. Our promotion, regulation and development efforts must now be geared towards international standards.” Cordero added.
Among the problems identified by Cordero is a close coordinative efforts must be launched are room accommodation, chartering activities, investment in a huge convention center, exhibit organizing and putting up more signages along major highways.
The training of “Tourist Police” and improving man-made and natural attraction complementing resorts are among the programs that needed focus, Cordero added.
“Let me emphasize that these efforts require huge private investments and engineering works as well. The tourism offices do not have the capacity in said areas except coordinative work. LGUs themselves must lead in terms of policy and we do the legwork.” Cordero stressed.
Present hotel rooms and pension houses are good as far as local visitors are concerned, Cordero added. With an airport of international standards, however, LGUs all over the province, not just Bacolod City, must begin to be serious about accommodating chartered flight tourists and improving their attractions sites, she said.
Cordero is proposing that a tourism office or a tourism building must be established within or the vicinity of the new airport.
As Atop president, Cordero took the floor in Cebu to push for the legislative bill in making the tourism office mandatory for all LGUs. Over 400 participants supported the bill for the creation of a tourism council rather than a tourism office.
