'Cruise and Drive' New tourism program to bring in more tourists to W. Visayas

ILOILO CITY, Philippines - The regional office of the Department of Tourism here will be implementing a new tourism promotion program to entice more tourists to visit Western Visayas.

Dubbed as "Cruise and Drive," the DOT-Region 6 planned to make travel to any beautiful spots in the region more budget-friendly using the existing roll-on roll-off facilities and land transportation.

The DO-6 recently conducted the brainstorming workshop with stakeholders who will be involved in the Cruise and Drive program.

Workshop participants identified possible routes with tourist destinations along the way, accommodations and dining establishments, and marketing promotion strategies.

DOT-6 regional director Helen Catalbas said Cruise and Drive will entire more foreign and domestic tourists to come to the region and see the beautiful spots here.

Many organizers of conventions and other events had been discouraged to choose Western Visayas for their venue because of high transportation costs, and this will be resolved by the new tourism program.

Among the six provinces of the region, only Aklan has existing accredited tourist vans and buses for hire, and even Iloilo-known as the center of trade and commerce here-have to hire tourist buses and vans from Aklan, which is more costly, said Catalbas.

For the Cruise and Drive program, it was proposed that establishments will be trained and regulated by the DOT to make sure that they meet the tourism standards, and ro-ro companies should make their facilities clean and friendly to tourists.

The Regional Development Council, in turn, will come up with a resolution to make sure that the Cruise and Drive program will become part of the region's development plans.  (FREEMAN)