Regional Director Catalino Chan III of the Department of Tourism in Central Visayas has assured Negrenses of his full support in promoting Negros Oriental and Siquijor in the tourism industry.
Director Chan issued the statement during the Tourism Sports Forum here, spearheaded by Selrahco, a public relations consultancy firm, in cooperation with the provincial government of Negros Oriental, the city government of Dumaguete.
According to Director Chan, Cebu and Bohol are basically strong and stable tourism destinations and the other provinces in the region could no longer catch up with them, referring to Negros Oriental and Siquijor.
Chan, who assumed his post just last December, however, assured Dumagueteños and Negrenses he will try to level up the expectations for tourism in Dumaguete City and Negros Oriental as well as Siquijor as part of the inclusive growth that he wants for all the provinces of Region 7.
“I had to come to Negros Oriental, Dumaguete and Siquijor to experience these places and make them new destinations,” he said.
While tourism officer of Camiguin, Chan said the place was not in the tourism map and he was able to transform it to be one of the top eight domestic destinations in the country just because of their lanzones.
Chan has emphasized that when it comes to connectivity, once a tourist is in Bohol or Cebu, it is very easy to go to Dumaguete, Negros Oriental and Siquijor.
The DOT-7 regional director said he will pursue the proposed construction of the airport in Siquijor and the improvement of the airport in Dumaguete with information that its downgrading status will soon be lifted.
As member of the economic development sector of the Regional Development Council (RDC), Director Chan is expected to reiterate the construction of the airport in Siquijor province and the improvement of the Dumaguete airport, which he considers as one of the best and safest airports being situated along the coastline.
Director Chan said the introduction of sports tourism in Dumaguete and Negros Oriental is one vehicle to bringing in thousands of tourists at one time to spur economic development.
He was surprised to witness lots of Chinese and Korean tourists disembarking from a passenger seacraft while at the port of Dumaguete and inside restaurants.
Director Chan has also suggested including in the strategies of the city what he coined as Bring Home a Friend Program in taking advantage of the best schools here during alumni homecomings.
If there are 18,000 alumni bringing in one friend each, would also mean another 18,000 tourists to the city and the province and they will be the best advertisers when they go back to their respective places, he pointed out.
The DOT regional director had also proposed to Mayor Felipe Remollo and Gov. Roel Ragay Degamo for the creation of an office whose main function is to bid for conventions and seminars due to the fact that Negros Oriental already has a good convention center and there are a lot of small hotels that can accommodate 2,000 delegates more or less.
Chan is still hoping Negros Oriental will remain part of Region 7, in stressing Dumaguete City and the province are his favorites having been here for eight times.
Negros Oriental was separated from Region 7 after the Negros Island Region was created, comprising both the provinces of Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental. (JFP/JG)
