DOT Visayas reignites one tourism campaign

CEBU, Philippines — The three regions in the Visayas are planning to start anew its One Visayas tourism initiative, in a bid to package the region as one.

The Department of Tourism (DOT) regional offices in Central Visayas (Region 7), Eastern Visayas (Region 8) and Western Visayas (Region6) will soon organize its own travel fair to bring in the diverse travel attractions and products within the Visayas in one venue, said DOT-8 regional director Karina Rosa S. Tiopes in an interview.

Five years ago, three regions in the Visayas came together to promote diving tourism and other tourism-related activities to provide more options and to lengthen foreign tourists’ stay in the country.

Region 6,7 and 8 have united to come up with one tourism campaign to market the Visayas as a diving destination in the international market through the One Visayas tourism platform.

Diving has become a priority area in tourism promotion because it is common for the three regions, although the One Visayas campaign, was planned to only to promote diving but also other attractions and tourism come ons within the Visayas region.

Eastern Visayas, for instance Tippes said will actively promote its diving destinations, its prominence to luxury exclusive cruises tours, and iconic cultural and historical destinations like the island of Limasawa, and Homonhon, the Yolanda striken Tacloban, among others.

Earlier, Senator Aimee Marcos said that the Visayan group of islands has a rich cultural and historical heritage, has abundant natural resources, and its people are hardworking, resilient, adventurous and gifted with a natural flair for entertainment and the arts.

Because of this edge, there is a need for the region to work together as one to promote a One Visayas campaign.

“So many of the big names in the cultural scene, creative arts, tourism and entertainment hail from the Visayas – and it is about time that this part of the country be enabled not only to have its fair share in the benefits, but be a dynamic mover of development now going on in the country,” the Senator stressed.

We have to carve out a niche for ourselves because there are things that only the Visayas can offer especially in arts and culture, as well as the leisure and entertainment industries,” Marcos added. (FREEMAN)