SEPTEMBER is Tourism Month. The year 2016 theme is “Tourism for All – Promoting Universal Accessibility.” Negros, our “Land of Sweet Surprises,” has prepared programs in towns and cities for the big month celebration. Our Provincial Tourism Week will be on September 23-29, 2016.
Negros Occidental will join the Philippine Travel Mart on September 2-4 at the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia Complex in Pasay City.
Towns and cities will showcase their best attractions, foods, products, and festivals. The Bacolod-Talisay-Silay Tourism Circuit will take center stage as pioneer in the “Negros Sugar Story” package tour.
On September 11 to 13, our Provincial Tourism Office will facilitate a training on water safety and rescue for resorts and sites with water sports facilities. This is in preparation for the influx of tourists. Tourists who are water lovers will go diving in Hinobaan, Sipalay, Cauayan, Cadiz, Escalante, and San Carlos. Our life guards and bay watchers in resorts need additional skills to save life. The training will be held per district.
The Negros Trade Fair at Glorietta in Manila will be held on September 13 to 18. Our entrepreneurs, crafstmen, producers, food experts, tourism promoters, and political leaders will be there to sell and promote Negros. It is expected that a bigger Manila crowd, with business tycoons, and the heads of offices of the Duterte administration will be there to experience the best of Negros. Silay City with Mayor Mark Golez will be there to sell our tourism products.
Tourism Month is an opportunity for our college and high school students to join the contests we are preparing for them during the Provincial Tourism Week. We have a forum on heritage tourism. There will be tour guiding competition and tourism quiz for students, pupils, and policemen. We will be selling all tourists spots to encourage local and foreign tourists to go around Negros.
“Our Island Magazine” will be launched to inspire travel bugs to discover unknown places and taste the exotic delicacies in the villages. The magazine will also inform tourists the unique culture of our provinces and find for themselves the hidden sweet surprises.
Don’t miss the “Food Parade.” It is our way to showcase the toothsome delicacies of the province. Each town and city has its own products. What you see is what you eat..lumpia and piaya from Silay, garlic peanut from San Carlos, “bebingka” from Hinigaran, blue crabs from E.B. Magalona, red rice from Don Salvador Benedicto, “puto” from Manapla, “durian” from Talisay, and many more.
There will be a District Tourism Fair at Robinsons Place wherein shoppers will enjoy tasting the delicacies and may harvest brochures from local government units. Those who are there will be entertained by the best cultural performers from town and cities, especially the LGUs that have been provided training by Mugda of the National Commission for the Culture and the Arts.
All tourism officers will have their team building also at Campuestohan Highland Resort in Talisay. This will be followed by the Tourism Excellence Awarding Ceremony. The awards body recognizes the achievements of town, cities, and our tourism pillar partners in the island that run the industry.
Tourism Month is our way of inviting Negrosanons and non-Negrosanons to join our tourism industry navigators to be a part of Negros tourism family by becoming aware of our potentials…of what the Negrosanons can do to let others share our sweet surprises.