CLARK FREEPORT—A Clark City Tour was launched here last Friday as the tour operators target at least 1.2 million annual visitors here.
Based on the statistics from the Department of Tourism (DOT) in 2016, 4 million tourists visited Central Luzon. Of this, 30 percent, or 1.2 million tourists have found their way to Clark as sourced from the report on tourists’ arrivals by major hotels in Clark.
“The Clark City tour is a timely development to feature different sites and rich culture of Clark,” Noemi Julian of The Tourism Promotions Division (TPD) of Clark Development Corp. (CDC) said.
“The first seat-in-coach and regular tour of Clark will allow tourists to experience the historical past as Clark Museum and 4D Theater are included in the tour and see the evolution of the zone as a premier business and tourism destination,” she added.
Gilda Padua said the Clark City Tour will showcase this freeport’s cultural heritage and fast-developing business and tourism sites.
“There’s more to Clark than what you see,” Padua said. She and Aurora Agustin of the GoTours Ltd. are the operators of the project.
Included in the tour are a rolling tour at the parade ground, barn houses, CDC offices, historical buildings, White House, Mimosa Filinvest Leisure Estate, Bicentennial Park, Clark Sun Valley, FA Korea Country Club, Fontana, The Villages, Nayong Pilipino Industrial Complex and Commercial Area, K9 Cemetery and Lilly Hill.
Lunch follows either at Matam-Ih or Amante Restaurant. The tour costs P1,200 per person.
The CDC congratulated GoTours Ltd. for launching the first seat in coach here.
CDC President and CEO Noel F. Manankil welcomed the development as the government and private sectors synergize to boost tourism in Clark during the launch of “GoTours” held at Clark Museum on September 29.
Clark City Tour is the initial product of GoTours Ltd., a newly established tour company based in Clark that collaborated with CDC in the initial stages of the project, said Julian, CDC-TPD manager.
Positive developments both at Clark Freeport Zone and Clark International Airport, if sustained, will further boost tourist arrivals, both domestic and foreign, in the next five to 10 years, Julian added.
Given this potential and the clamor of tourism stakeholders for regular and reliable tours, CDC-TPD, together with the local tourism and private sector, initiated a tour for Clark, Angeles and Pampanga.
“GoTours” also partnered with the Department of Tourism Regional Office 3 [DOT 3], Pampanga Tourism Office, Angeles City Tourism Office, suppliers including participating hotels, restaurants and theme parks in Clark and DOT-accredited transport providers.
Also present during the launch were CDC board of directors and other officials of the state-run firm; Carolina Uy, officer in charge of the DOT 3; and other government and private travel and tourism stakeholders.
Image credits: Joey Pavia