ILOILO City – The Department of Tourism (DOT) in Western Visayas will strengthen the domestic tourism programs in the region amid the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.
Due to the travel restrictions imposed last year, the region only netted P21.6 billion from the tourism industry.
DOT-6 officer-in-charge Cristine Mansinares recently said the agency is continuously promoting domestic tourism to help revitalize this industry.
“We are enhancing the existing products and creating new ones,” she said, adding that the agency is collaborating with stakeholders and local government units for new tourism products, particularly in Boracay Island as part of its recovery and rehabilitation program for the tourism sector in the region.
There is also a proposed Visayas cluster tourism project, with Regions 7, and 8, that involves motor touring and biking routes.
Meanwhile, Mansinares said the agency is also pushing for farm tourism to support the recovery of both the agriculture and tourism sectors.
She is glad that Western Visayas has the most number of DOT-accredited tourism farm sites which is currently at 42.
The Slow Food Travel tourism program is also coming to the region according to her.PIA/PN
