THE Board of Investments (BOI) has identified the top three economic drivers in Western Visayas Region with a combined equivalent to 17 percent of the Philippines registered investments in 2015.
The three big economic boosters in the region include energy-related projects worth P57.76 billion, followed by economic housing with P2.49 billion, and tourism with P495 million worth of tourism projects.
Department of Tourism regional director Helen Catalbas said she is very interested to know what businesses are included in the tourism sector as the regions investment performance increased by 171.81 percent.
Catalbas said that tourism has always been a good business because it works both ways.
Both parties gain from it, the investor and the benefactor.
Investments create livelihood and generate jobs for the locals living around the tourist destination, thus, as the investors benefit so are the residents.
The DOT official said she will write the Department of Trade and Industry and BOI for the list of included businesses under the tourism sector.
She said it is important that these establishments be identified to know if they harmonize with those in the DOT-Central Visayas listing and also to encourage these establishments to be accredited by the DOT.
Various components of tourism include accommodation, transportation, food and beverage, tours, tourism products, accessibility, manpower, job creation, tourist markets are all in upward trend.