THE Department of Tourism (DOT) Western Visayas is strengthening its portfolio defining its marketing strategies of tourism products and services in six provinces and cities to attract more visitors to come and experience the region.
DOT regional director Helen Catalbas said the regional tourism product portfolio highlights each province’s or city’s top tourism products that also concur with the nine tourism products recommended by market-product analysis to be prioritized to enrich tourist experience and boost product diversification.
These tourism products were identified in the Western Visayas Tourism Action Plan 2013-2016, which underwent thorough consultations with various stakeholders in the region.
Catalbas said the region offers nature-based tourism, sun and beach tourism, diving and marine sports tourism, cultural tourism, cruise and nautical tourism, eco-tourism, pilgrimage tourism, indigenous tourism and agrifarm tourism, leisure and entertainment tourism, Mice tourism, health, wellness and retirement tourism and educational tourism spread among the provinces of Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo and Negros Occidental and the cities of Bacolod and Iloilo.
The portfolio provides convenience for the tourists who are looking for the best places where to spend their vacations. These tourism products are best bought from DOT-accredited tour operators either for individual or group travels.
The increase of tourist arrivals in 2014 could be attributed to the massive promotion and marketing of Western Visayas by DOT Western Visayas, local government units (LGUs) and private sector among its residents, other Filipinos and foreign markets under the region’s flagship campaign banner “Experience Western Visayas First”.
Each province records increase on their tourist arrivals causing significant growth in Western Visayas tourist arrivals for 2014 aimed to hit the 3.3-million regional tourist arrivals target in 2016. (LCP)