THE Department of Tourism (DOT) 7 will raise to the lawmakers of Central Visayas the need to have a seamless transport to enhance the tourism experience in the region.
DOT 7 Director Shahlimar Tamano identified for one, the need to make ticket purchasing for both sea and land transport to be available online, similar to air tickets.
This way, he said, hopping from one island to another will now be easier and convenient.
“This is just one of the many things we want support from our government leaders as far as tourism is concerned,” said Tamano.
“We will be working closely with our leaders in Congress. Seamless transportation is one of the tourism agenda that we will be pushing,” he added.
He stressed that having an easy and convenient way of traveling around the islands in the region can help boost tourism arrivals.
Accessing these tickets online will help draw more tourists and at the same time allow the local government to highlight their own island destinations, especially those considered off the beaten track.
“When tourists pick destinations to visit, they don’t only consider the sights they want to see and explore. They also consider how fast and easy it is for them to get to these destinations and move around,” Tamano explained.
The DOT 7 will submit a draft of the transport plan to the lawmarkers of Central Visayas and to the office of the House of Representatives’ Committee on Visayas Development so it will be included in their tourism legislative agenda.
Master plan
Meanwhile, Tamano said the 2020-2030 Central Visayas Tourism Master Plan was already endorsed to the Tourism Infrastructure and Economic Zone Authority (Tieza).
The formulation of the master plan will be co-managed by the DOT 7 and Tieza. (KOC)