DOT sees brighter prospects for WVisayas tourism in 2013

DOT sees brighter prospects for WVisayas tourism in 2013

By Leonard T. Pineda I, Monday 7th of January 2013

ILOILO CITY, Jan 7 (PIA) – Prospects for the tourism industry in Western Visayas look bright in 2013.

In a radio interview, Department of Tourism 6 (DOT-6) Regional Director Atty. Helen Catalbas said recent developments will further boost tourism in the region.

“It is favorable that the Chinese government has allowed the resumption of tourists’ arrival from China with Region VI as one of their major destinations,” said Catalbas.

With the Iloilo airport having opened its first international flights to and from Hong Kong and Singapore, the DOT official shared that statistics and data were very encouraging for these revealed that visitors who have come here were not only from these countries but also from other places in Asia and Europe.

“We are also pushing for the standard chartered flights in Bacolod-Silay Airport to resume by January or February so we are ironing out the customs, immigration, quarantine and other requirements,” said Catalbas.

She further said that DOT is also exploring the possibility of opening flights to other international destinations such as Incheon and Busan in South Korea.

Meanwhile, the report from DOT-6 indicated that as of November 2012, Boracay already breached the 1 million target tourist arrivals.

“Last year, if the target for tourist arrivals for Boracay was 1 million; for 2013, the target is set at 1.2 million,” said Catalbas.

Catalbas also said that in Iloilo, cultural tour packages comprising of visits to historic churches and ancestral houses are already being offered, where tourists learn their history and appreciate the interior of these edifices up-close.

“Soon, DOT-6 will organize cultural product development in the central business district of Iloilo City and a walking tour of the downtown,” added Catalbas. (JCM/LTP/PIA-ILOILO)


The Iloilo Airport is located in Cabatuan, Iloilo, Philippines.
Iloilo International Airport

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