Caravans promoting regional tourism launched

MANILA, Philippines — Tour operators on Tuesday launched a program featuring five major and three minor caravans designed to promote, re-establish, and reinforce tourism activities across selected regions.

The "Islands Philippines Fun Caravans" project of the Philippines Tour Operators Association (PHILTOA) is in line with the "Visit the Philippines 2015" campaign of the Department of Tourism.

PHILTOA is the largest association of registered tour operators, with allied members from various tourism sectors such as airlines, hotels, resorts, tourist transportation, and more.

PHILTOA president Cesar Cruz said the five major caravans are as follows: the Cordillera Heritage Warrior Caravan, which will encompass San Jose, Santa Fe, Lagawe, Banaue, Bontoc, Sagada, and Baguio provinces; the Southern Luzon Kulinarya that will involve the historical province of Cavite, Alaminos, San Pablo, Nagcarlan, Liliw, Majayjay, in the province of Laguna,  Lucban, Tayabas, Sariaya, in Quezon province and San Juan in Batangas; the Visayas Charm Caravan that will underscore Bohol, Cebu, and Boracay; the Bicol Express for Naga, Legazpi, Sorsogon, and Misibis; and The Plains and Heights of Central Luzon Caravan, which will put the spotlight on Pinatubo, Tarlac, Baguio, Pangasinan, and Subic.

Meanwhile, the minor caravans are as follows: Rediscover Batanes for the grandness of Batanes’ plateaus; the Northern Palawan Eco Adventure Discovery for the lush islands, pristine coastlines, and cobalt waters of the Calamianes Group of Island; and Hola, Zamboanga for the vibrant culture and diverse landscape of the province.

Each caravan is calendared among different months throughout the year, lasting from three to seven days, depending on the number of municipalities included.

PHILTOA President Cesar Cruz added that the project is designed to provide flexibility in the choices of activities and accommodation in each destination based on the interest and affordability of the participants.

"The Island Philippines Fun Caravans will accommodate both foreign and local markets, where they can choose to bring their own vehicles or avail the caravan vehicle, of course, only if the destinations can be accessed via land transportation," Cruz said.

"The participants also have the option to avail of the accommodations that will be announced prior to the trip—campsite, lodging houses, hostels, or star-rated properties," he added.

Cruz said the caravans are meant to become interactive and participative, with programs that will encourage them to interact and immerse themselves in local communities.

Participants in the caravans will also be given dummy passports which will be stamped by the participating local government unit. There will also be mini-trade fairs, a festive welcome reception and other community-based activities showing off the best spots and emerging lifestyle and travel trends in municipalities included in the itinerary.

"As our tourism industry further shapes up through 'Visit the Philippines 2015', PHILTOA wanted to contribute through this caravan project, which aims to provide an effective platform for the promotion of different tourist destinations across the country," Cruz explained.