Developing local tourism seen to boost revenues of provinces

By Rizal Raoul Reyes
Correspondent

DEVELOPING local tourism is the best microeconomic model to boost the revenue capacity of the provinces, the leader of an organization promoting tourism in the country said recently.

Patrick C. Gregorio, director of the North Philippines Visitors Bureau (NPVB), said NPVB is pushing tourism because it has a strong potential to spur regional development and growth for the stakeholders. "NPVB is really bullish on the microeconomic aspect of tourism," said Gregorio, also the chief marketing officer of Microtel Inns and Suites Philippines Inc.

NPVB, a private, nonstock, membership based organization, is the umbrella organization for Convention & Visitors Bureaus (CVBs) all over North Philippines that promotes travel to the region and promotion of a destination through events and conventions.

With convention and visitors bureaus already established in Baguio, Greater Clark, La Union, Pangasinan, Greater Subik, Tarlac, Ilocos Sur, Cagayan North, Gregorio told reporters in the briefing that the network is becoming quite robust.

"The CVBs are tasked with conceptualizing and implementing activities that will attract business and leisure travelers to their provinces. So far, the CVBs have been quite successful with their fund raising activities especially the conventions and golf tournaments," said Gregorio.

Private companies, he added, must change their mindset on tourism—from simply a corporate social responsibility they must view it as a business perspective because this is primarily a business undertaking. "It is high time for corporations to adopt tourism as part of their marketing strategy," he said.

Although government is also playing a major role in developing tourism in the country, Gregorio said the private sector must become more active because it has also sufficient resources and robust network to implement the needed programs to boost tourism.

He said the Manila North Tollways Corp. is playing a major role promoting tourism in the country, particularly the northern part of the country. Besides developing an international class highway, Gregorio said MNTC has been helping fledgling CVBs to build their marketing and promotional apparatus.

Gregorio said the NPVB also will convince Filipinos to travel more to the Northern Philippines because there are lots of things to see there. "Aside from the rice terraces, Hundred Islands, Sagada, there are a lot more to see such as the natural sites in Cagayan province," he said. He said NPVB is upbeat because the Philippine Advertising Congress will hold its main event in Subic next year. "We expect around 5,000 delegates going to Subic."

NPVB partners include MNTC, Victory Liner Inc., Pilipinas Shell Inc., BMW Philippines, HopAround.net, Cordillera Coffee, Microtel Inns and Suites Philippines, MediaMeter,  92.3-Joey, Clark Development Corp., Forsc Ink, GA Printing Inc, BusinessWorld, Philippine Star and BusinessMirror.

Business Mirror
November 21, 2006