By Brigitte Pauline Mae Talaña
NAVAL, Biliran, Oct. 5 (PNA) – This province is reaping the fruits of summer tourism promotion in the past six months after it was launched.
Biliran provincial tourism officer Dionisio Oliva, Jr. said that key destination like Sambawan Island has been enjoying 50 percent rise in tourist visits compared to previous years.
“After the summer fun launch, tourism activity went up. It was proven after Biliran was published in some of the country’s media firms, both online and print,” Oliva said.
“About 60 percent of tourists in the province visit beaches and islets. That is why we have to bank on those assets,” Oliva added.
For this year, the province expects to raise the number of tourists to 76,506 or more than half of 31,262 tourists recorded in 2014.
“Summer Fun in Biliran will now be a yearly activity. The provincial government is still planning where the venue will be for next year,” he told PNA.
The provincial government launched the “Summer Fun in Biliran” on April 17-18, 2015.
This is in collaboration with the regional office of the Department of Tourism (DOT), journalists and tour operators from different parts of the country were gathered to cover the launching of promotion activities.
“We launch this campaign in the hope that this would bring what Biliran could offer to the country and to the rest of the world,” he added.
Biliran province is about 124 kilometers from Tacloban City, the regional capital and the commercial center of Eastern Visayas region. (PNA)