ILOILO CITY, March 3 (PNA) — The Department of Tourism Region 6’s “Experience Western Visayas First” promotional campaign has boosted the domestic tourist arrivals by 258,392 or 10.78 percent since it was launched about a year ago.
The DOT Regional Office 6, comparing the number of domestic tourists from March to December 2013 which was only 2,396,722, now reported of 258,392 visitors, indicating a 10.78-percent increase since the launching of the tourism promotional campaign.
The total domestic tourist arrivals recorded by DOT 6 from March to December 2014 showed a figure of 2,655,114.
DOT Regional Director Helen Catalbas, about a year ago, led the grand launching of the campaign that’s intended to encourage and bring to the consciousness of domestic tourists the visit tourism sites within Western Visayas first before going out to other places for their vacations and tours.
Catalbas during the launching told media that people from this region usually plan to go to other places or even abroad for their vacation, but that the fact is they haven’t yet gone yet to their very own tourism sites in Region 6 that are also breathtaking.
She said that through the Experience Western Visayas First campaign, people are encouraged to visit tourism sites within Region 6 first.
As part of the promotional campaign, the DOT also launched the “Cruise and Drive” with the support of the local government units and DOT-accredited travel and tour agencies. The Cruise and Drive enables tourists to see the three main islands in Western Visayas – Panay, Guimaras and Negros Occidental – through the roll-on roll-off facilities interconnection.
DOT also encourages tourists to take a self-portrait or group photograph (selfie or groupie) of tourism destinations in Western Visayas that could be uploaded to promote the destinations they have visited as well as entice other tourists to come. (PNA)