THE provincial tourism office of Davao Occidental aims to have a Tourism, Culture, and Arts Council per municipality to strengthen the province’s tourism campaign.
Kathrin Semacio, communication staff for Information, Tourism, & Social Events of the Province of Davao Occidental, said this is one of the new provisions under the reconstitution of the Provincial Tourism, Culture, and Arts Council via executive order earlier this year.
The Municipal Tourism, Culture, and Arts Council would each create a local tourism development plan that would also incorporate the province’s goal for responsible and sustainable tourism.
Semacio said that its goal is to promote Davao Occidental as an ideal tourism destination.
“That is our point at Provincial Tourism kay pag muingon man gud og Davao Region, dili pa kaayo known si Davao Occidental (because when you say Davao Region, people don’t think of Davao Occidental. It isn’t very known),” she said during the One Davao presser on May 27.
In line with this, Semacio said the provincial government wants to establish Davao Occidental as a tourism adventure capital of the southern Philippines. She cited surfing and motocross as some of the tourism activities they plan to offer.
“That is the direction Davao Occidental is going to, aside from being sustainable. (We want to show) that adventure is here,” Semacio said.
Meanwhile, Semacio added that the Davao Occidental Provincial Tourism Code is in the works. The tourism office is currently conducting consultations with both the private sector and government sector to form the tourism code.
The tourism code will be discussed by the stakeholders during the Davao Occidental Provincial Tourism Stakeholders’ Summit on May 29 to 31 at the New Malita Gym in the Municipality of Malita, Davao Occidental. ICM