FOLLOWING the successful staging its 9th Ayyoweng di Lambak ed Tadian festival March 1-5, this sleepy town in the Mountain Province is hoping to increase tourist arrivals.
Department of Tourism undersecretary Falconi Millar challenged town officials and residents to prepare for bigger tourist arrivals as the agency is set to help in globally promoting Tadian because of its cultural heritage and history.
“We know from our heart that the experiential travel is on the rise worldwide more than ever. Tadian is one of those places where many experiential travellers would want to visit you and greener destination and be enriched by the destination’s history, people and culture,” Millar reiterated.
Millar added the famous tourist sites no longer need promotion thus the support to President Rodrigo Duterte’s target to promote rural tourism.
“The focus of DOT and the President is to promote rural tourism especially cultural tourism, as what I’ve seen, cultural presentations can be promoted,” Millar added.
The DOT official added the scenic view of Tadian can also be endorsed for tourism either to foreign or local visitors.
With the forthcoming increased tourist arrivals, the DOT is urging locals to open their houses as homestay facility.
Mayor Anthony Wooden meanwhile encouraged the private sectors to help them establish accommodation facilities.
“When we encouraged our people before, there was a gradual increase of inns. We already have four guesthouses which can accommodate around a hundred individuals. For homestays, we have not monitored it yet,” Wooden said.
Millar proposed the improvement of the Tadian Central School grounds for a better cultural presentation site and to avail of more DOT programs with the help of DPWH and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts.
“DOT would always be there, funding for tourism infrastructures, tourism personnel and mechanisms that would help in the improvement of the place,” Millar said.
Tadian was able to avail of the Department of Public Works and Highways and DOT funding for the tourism road construction which has made the area accessible. (Elamae Membrere)