A JUST promoted tourism official from Negros Occidental has vowed to continue supporting the province's bid for a sustainable and inclusive tourism industry.
Effective Monday, February 10, former Provincial Supervising Tourism Operations officer Cristine Mansinares will be assigned to the Department of Tourism (DOT) in Western Visayas in Iloilo City.
She will head the regional agency's Tourism Development Department.
Mansinares, on the sidelines of a meeting with some local tour operators in Bacolod City Friday, February 7, said her appointment came from the office of Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat.
"The division takes charge of the tourism planning, marketing and promotion, and trainings," she said, adding that "the region has existing support to Negros Occidental and we will continue that."
The tourism official pointed out that sustainable tourism development efforts of Negros Occidental is one of the major contributors to the visitor arrivals in Western Visayas.
"Aside from being sustainable, tourism development should also be inclusive," Mansinares said.
In terms of planning, the former provincial tourism officer said the province is currently finalizing its tourism development plan.
The updated plan, she said, included the priorities in marketing and promotions, infrastructure development, as well as trainings.
For trainings, Negros Occidental needs to prioritize those for "halal" as the region is expected to host international events this year.
"There's also a need for training for tour guides in the province," Mansinares said, adding that "for frontline service providers, we will again do the Filipino brand of service training."
Prior to her stint as the province's tourism officer in 2011 during the time of former Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr., Mansinares served as tourism officer of Sipalay City in 2005.
Among the major achievements she considered as contribution to the growing tourism industry of Negros Occidental included a steadily increasing visitor arrivals.
Mansinares said through the efforts of her team at the Negros Occidental Tourism Division (NOTD), the tourism industry has able to contribute to local economic development particularly creating employment opportunities for Negrenses.
In her time, the province was also given various citations by the national government and groups like the Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines (Atop).
These recognition included best tourism oriented local government unit (LGU), best festival for Panaad sa Negros, and best tourism week celebration in the country.
"Tourism plays a vital role in every LGU so tourism officers should use the resources that they have to create income and employment for the people," she added.