A vice chairman of the House Committee on Local Government on Sunday urged local government units (LGUs) to help the Department of Tourism (DOT) identify “tourism gaps” between market expectations and what tourist destinations can offer to visitors.
Nacionalista Party Rep. Luis Raymund F. Villafuerte Jr. of Camarines Sur said in a statement that local chief executives should help the DOT find tourism gaps in their respective communities as a way to support the administration’s agenda for genuine economic inclusion.
“Domestic tourism will let regions unleash their economic potentials and, thus, help them gird up for the planned switch to the federal form of government, where they would have a greater say on how they should chart their respective economic growth paths, and use the revenues they generate to fund their development programs,” Villafuerte said.
According to the lawmaker, local elective officials play a critical role in developing and ensuring the success of a sustainable tourism industry, as they are directly responsible for the management of the tourist destinations and resources in their respective areas of jurisdiction.
“On top of identifying tourism gaps” in their respective localities, LGU executives can also coordinate with the DOT in developing an expanded tourism database that would include information about a community’s tourist spot, the type of visitors they attract, what tourists do, the length of their stay and how much they spend,” Villafuerte said. The DOT is setting up a database on the country’s tourist destinations.
The lawmaker said the plan is in line with the DOT’s program to customize tourism-promotion strategies by coming up with “theme-based offerings”, such as fitness, fun, family, farm and faith tourism.
“The database could also include the number of hotels in a certain locality, occupancy rates and the different forms of paid accommodation available,” Villafuerte added.
Moreover, Villafuerte said LGUs can partner with the DOT in developing their tourist spots into extreme sports and ecotourism destinations, which attract more arrivals and repeat visits from both local and foreign tourists.
Villafuerte cited Camarines Sur as example for what he calls “success” of the tourism sector. “Our strategy was a resounding success because sports hubs tend to get a high number of repeat visitors who have to stay weeks ahead before a sports event to adjust themselves to the weather in the area and train there,” said Villafuerte, a former Camarines Sur governor. “They also return to the place to improve their skills. Not only that, they also come with their relatives and friends in tow.”
Citing the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Villafuerte said sports tourism is a $600-billion market that is expected to expand by an average of 5.3 percent annually.
Villafuerte added sports tourism is projected to grow 6.1 percent from 2013 to 2020, and by 4.7 percent from 2020 to 2030.
He said UNWTO tourism projections show that arrivals in the Asia-Pacific region is expected to more than double, from 204 million arrivals in 2010 to 541 million by 2030.