Antique stakeholders commit involvement in tourism promotion

[ Manila Bulletin Online ] April 24, 2008

SAN JOSE, Antique — Tourism stakeholders underwent a two-day strategic planning workshop for tourism development program in Antique recently.

Florentino Egida, provincial tourism officer said in an interview tourism stakeholders were able to map out strategic directions of the tourism program in line with the government’s thrust making Central Philippines (Visayas Region) a preferred international tourist destination.

Participants representing different municipalities in the province have identified key strategies to describe Antique’s tourism program and potentials.

Antique’s unspoiled environment depicts the province’s well-conserved resources and equitable sharing of benefits which means the judicious sharing of gains and benefits derived from tourism projects by the community and investors.

The workshop participants gave emphasis to the Implementation of a strong physical and policy support system promoting the establishment of facilities and infrastructure needed to boost its tourist destinations.

This will be complemented by coupled by the adoption of policies and legislation for sustainable development.

Stakeholders also took into account the need for a dynamic multi-sectoral collaboration and their active involvement in the province’s tourism program.

Another important strategy is excellent tourism services and products, to include Antique’s best destinations and resorts, like beaches and mountains, as well as products, pasalubong items, native industries like buri and bamboo craft, its patadyong, muscovado and other food products, and other services.

The Arroyo administration’s Medium Term Development Plan (2004-2010) stated that the tourism sector’s primary importance in poverty alleviation lies in its potential to generate millions of jobs for various groups of people.

The President earlier said that tourism is the best source of employment, from the most skilled to the least skilled there is an employment opportunity.

Tourism is a very complex industry encompassing a wide range of economic activities in every tourist destination in the country, and involves a substantial amount of investments—a reason why it is recognized as a major contributor to the generation of foreign exchange earnings, investments, and revenues, and to the total growth of the country’s output. It also creates human resource-intensive jobs, a PIA dispatch stated. (PIA)
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