PLAN REVIEW. The Department of Tourism regional office in Tacloban City. The agency said on Friday (Oct. 23, 2020) that the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic would prompt key industry players to come up with a one-year to two-year plan for the local tourism sector. (PNA file photo)
TACLOBAN CITY – Tourism stakeholders in Eastern Visayas would go back to the drawing board to come up with a short-term plan, taking into consideration the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic to the industry.
Department of Tourism (DOT) Regional Director Karina Rosa Tiopes said on Friday that the health crisis' impact would compel them to come up with one-year to two-year plan for local tourism starting next year.
“We have to consult with stakeholders since it is not any more realistic to follow the 15 percent annual growth rate. We might go back to the 2011 projections of seven percent annual growth in arrivals,” Tiopes told reporters.
For 2020, the DOT expected to breach the two million mark in arrivals for Eastern Visayas or a growth of 15 percent from the previous year’s tourist receipts.
“Practically, we are almost zero this year since we don’t have visitors since March. Tourism is the most affected industry by this movement restrictions. We don’t know when will this end unlike Super Typhoon Yolanda wherein our tourism businesses managed to reopen after a week,” Tiopes added.
At least three hotels in Leyte have formally notified the DOT of closure while several accommodation facilities sought an authority to operate from tourism department, but remained closed due to local government restrictions.
Under the 2017–2022 Regional Tourism Roadmap, industry players are eyeing at least 1.31 million to 3.23 million annual tourist arrivals.
From a 6 percent to 7 percent annual growth target, stakeholders increased it to at least 20 percent annually for both domestic and foreign guest arrivals.
In 2016, the region ushered 1.22 million visitors, a significant increase from the measly 365,000 arrivals in 2011.
The region consists of the provinces of Biliran, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Northern Samar, Samar, and Southern Leyte, and the cities of Baybay, Borongan, Calbayog, Catbalogan, Maasin, Ormoc and Tacloban, the Eastern Visayas’ regional center.
Among its popular destinations are Kalanggaman Island, San Juanico Bridge, Leyte Landing Memorial in Leyte; Sambawan Island in Biliran; dive sites in Southern Leyte; Calicoan Island in Eastern Samar; Sohoton Cave and Natural Park in Samar; and Biri Rock Formations in Northern Samar.
The region remains relatively under-the-radar compared to other tourist destinations in the Philippines, but this has been slowly changing in the past years as demand for raw nature tourism grows, according to Tiopes.
More and more people visit the region in pursuit of rugged coasts and landscapes, secret caves and waterfalls, and fascinating histories. (PNA)
