Mimaropa region explores cruise tourism

MANILA, Philippines - The Mimaropa region is exploring an alternative way to attract more tourists through cruise tourism amid air connectivity issues.

Cruise tourism is starting to progress in the region with Romblon as the target area aside from the more popular destinations of Coron and Puerto Princesa in Palawan.

Department of Tourism Region IV-B director Minerva Morada said they are focusing more on diversifying the region’s products, souvenir item offerings and culinary aspect, rather than the accommodation establishments.

“It’s important that you are able to establish an identity. We have to be more creative and artistic in creating ways to attract more tourists,” she added.

Around 20 cruises have already navigated the area with a minimum of 400 tourists per cruise as of September this year. The region aims to partner with tour operators from other regions to enhance and establish connectivity and involve the local communities.

“We don’t have to wait until the connectivity issue is addressed. If you do that, you fail in your mandate to promote and improve tourism. Tourism is really the way forward. The challenge is very strong but it can be done with the help of the private and the public sectors,” she said.

Morada noted the region is in talks with the Philippine Port Authority and several shipping lines such as 2Go in determining the readiness of Mimaropa to further venture in this new kind of tourism.

“Our objective is not just increasing tourist arrivals but more importantly, it’s the tourist receipts and the revenues generated from tourism,” she said.

The region targets a five percent increase in domestic and foreign tourists by year-end. In 2014, Mimaropa posted 1.2 million arrivals and generated approximately P13 billion in receipts.