TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Tourism (DOT) here in the region has asked local leaders to be active in gathering tourism-related statistics to know the tourism situation within their areas.
Statistics are important especially if they ask for funding for tourism-related projects, says tourism regional director Karina Rosa Tiopes during her recent meeting with 12 mayors in Southern Leyte.
“You have to make sure that you have a tourism statistics. No statistics, no assistance,” she added.
“It is really good to understand numbers because these numbers tells us whether we are doing the right thing (and if) if there are gaps; when we develop our products or at marketing,” Tiopes added.
Among the top tourist spots in Southern Leyte’s second district are Limasawa; San Pablo and San Pedro beaches in Hinunangan; and Sogod Bay.
Meanwhile, the DOT in the region is still consolidating data provided by tourism officers of the province on the update of tourist arrivals for the second semester of this year.
But for the first semester of 2022, the second district of Southern Leyte recorded 185, 632 day time tourist arrivals, contributing a big chunk to the 411, 207 arrivals for the entire Eastern Visayas.
Last year of the same period, the province was visited by 446,426 tourists.
Aside from statistics, Tiopes asked the mayors to have their own tourism plan.
“We have to be prepared to usher in our guests. We cannot just say that I have a tourism site why not promote it, we must not promote it unless it is ready,” Tiopes stressed.
They must also have a clear tourism product and market development, she added.
Tiopes said that in product development they are biased in supporting people organizations whom they train to be entrepreneurs, and providing them with the appropriate skills in order for them to provide a great service.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
