THE Department of Tourism (DOT) regional office in Iloilo City is readying its newest project known as market day tourism in public markets of Iloilo City and Guimaras province as pilot areas.

DOT Regional Director Helen Catalbas said Guimaras helps make tourism of Iloilo City more attractive and competitive and both local government units are complementing each other with Guimaras as a major food producer and the city as the consumer.

Catalbas is positive that Guimaras is one of the biggest suppliers of food for tourism-related establishments in Iloilo City.

She said Guimaras may not have big volume of tourists but it is one of the primary sources of food and other fresh resources served to tourists in Iloilo City.

The island province of Guimaras is not just the source of the sweetest mangos in Western Visayas but also the provider of poultry products, pork and beef, fishes, and a variety of fruits.

It also serves as an attraction of residents and tourists of Iloilo City, Catalbas said.

Catalbas also urged the local government units of Guimaras to record all products the province is supplying to Iloilo City for these figures can be used to determine the effect of tourism to the daily lives of the Guimarasnons.

She added that Guimarasnons may not be aware but they greatly contribute to the tourism industry of Western Visayas.

Iloilo City and Guimaras are the pilot areas of DOT Market Day Tourism to be launched on November 2016 in partnership with the Iloilo City Government, municipality of Jordan and province of Guimaras.

r