DILG holding confab on "rural" tourism

CEBU, Philippines - The Department of Interior and Local Government is encouraging all local chief executives to participate in the National Conference on Community-Based Rural Tourism this coming January 12 to 14, 2011 at the Subic Bay Freeport.

It is organized by the International School of Sustainable Tourism in partnership with the Asian Productivity Organization and the Development Academy of the Philippines.

ISST chairwoman Dr. Mina Gabor requested DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo to allow the local chief executives to attend the said activity.

The governors and mayors may send the chairperson of the committee on tourism or the local tourism officer of their respective local government unit. 

The conference aims to enhance the participants’ knowledge on the concept of rural tourism as a strategy to create economic opportunities in rural areas.

This is also to familiarize the participants’ with the best practices in the management of selected models of rural tourism enterprises which may be promoted and adopted in the provinces.

The conference will also promote the development of community-based tourism-oriented establishments and activities as a way of optimizing utilization and productivity of resources in rural areas.

    Recently, the Province of Cebu supported the tourism statistics program of the Department of Tourism to empower tourism officers in towns and cities by teaching them the basics of coming up with a tourism development plan.

Governor Gwendolyn Garcia had suggested to include the marketing aspect such as the preparation of tour packages and how to market these packages. Each municipality was told to look for its strongest selling advantage in terms of tourism whether natural, heritage, livelihood industry or services.

Garcia wants LGUs to sell their tour packages using the available resources through the Internet without relying on travel and tour operators.

With the program, Garcia said that this will now assure that there will really be an active effort on the part of the municipalities to attract tourists to their towns. —