LOCAL and foreign tourists who will be visiting Oslob town in southern Cebu need to follow guidelines on the new individual numbering and identification system that the municipality will be implementing.
Oslob has been known for whale shark watching.
To hasten the registration process for tourists in Barangay Tan-awan, the Oslob Tourism Office said big tourist groups are advised to bring and present a manifest during the registration.
The manifest has to contain the names, age, nationality, contact number, ID number and accommodation of the tourists.
These details are needed for the registration, as the municipality will be putting up an improved Whale Shark Watching Briefing Center in Tan-awan, said the tourism office.
According to the Commission on Audit, the whale shark watching accounted for the bulk of the town’s tourism revenues in 2022 at P31.03 million, an increase from P2.79 million in 2021.
In 2019, tourism revenue was P190.2 million, with whale shark watching activities bringing in P182.7 million to the local government.
The town’s tourism revenue last year was P35.3 million, which was 10 times more than the P3.4 million it generated in 2021, when travel restrictions prevented most people from visiting the area.
Following the whale shark viewing in terms of tourism revenues was Sumilon Island with P3.08 million (up from P415,774 in 2021); followed by Luka/Tumalog Falls, P1.17 million (up from P156,309); and Monkey Viewing, P67,089 (from zero). (ANV / LMY)