WITH tourism sites in the town gaining popularity, Kapangan town Mayor Manny Fermin said he is preparing to accommodate more tourists.
Fermin said “For peak season, we have 5,000 to 8,000 tourists and for nonpeak season 2,000 to 3,000 tourists visiting tourist spots including the Badi Falls, Lumanay Cave, Longog Cave, Bulalacao cave, Mt. Dakiwagan or Santa Claus Mountain, Amburayan River, Suvani’s Avong.”
The chief executive said there are at least ten accredited tour guides and the town and is working to train more and improve presentation of the tourist spots and biodiversity of the town.
Badi Falls located in Barangay Sagubo has been gaining popularity and recent data shows 8,000 visitors within six months in 2019 with local visitors still unaccounted, the mayor said.
Fermin added there are tour packages available for tourists to pay directly to the municipality inclusive of food and transportation to provide easier access for first time visitors.
Christmas ed Kapangan which recently celebrated its 10th year in 2019 is a cultural presentation and tour on selected sites including the Santa claus Mountain, a tourism trademark in the town.
Aside from tour sites within the town, Kapangan is also venturing into farm tourism.
Following the first staging of “Pongayan Sili Fest” promoting the good harvest of bellpeppers in the town, actual visit in the farms to pick and pay in a lesser price is also being pushed.
Fermin said “We also have community based tourism linking tourism in barangay to look into the visitors.”
The mayor added aside from concentrating on tourism, cultural presentations are also a must in promoting the cultural heritage and traditions of Benguet.
In a bid to reduce usage of plastic bags, the officialdom of Kapangan earlier order the utilization of alternative package materials.
With more tourist spots in the town, they are urging tourists to cooperative and bring home with them their garbage and observed proper waste disposal.