City residents will have a first crack in visiting the various tourist spots as soon as the different parks will be opened by September as part of the local government’s efforts to gradually open the tourism industry to help in reviving the vibrance of the city economy.
City Tourism Officer Aloysius Mapalo said activities in the parks such as boating, biking, horseback riding, among other related activities, will be allowed, but the public will have to abide by the stringent health and safety protocols, particularly the mandatory wearing of face mask, the observance of physical distancing, and the practice of personal hygiene.
He pointed out it will be the residents that will first enjoy the gains of the city’s parks during the implementation of the community quarantine to relax and take a breather after having been confined in their residences for several months.
Initially, he disclosed the parks to be opened to the residents include Burnham Park, Wright Park, Mines view Park, and Dominican Heritage Hill and Nature Park.
However, he claimed that the Botanical Garden will not yet be opened to the public because of the ongoing put up of flower gardens as an added attraction for the people once it will be formally opened within the next several months.
According to him, the proposed opening of the city’s tourism spots to visitors from other places will be moved back to the later part of September or by the middle of October because of adjustments being done on the online registration platform that is the city’s database for tourist arrivals.
Mapalo stated the city is targeting the launch the Baguio Visitors Information and Travel Assistance (VISITA) by the middle of September for prospective visitors to register while visitors will be expected by the middle part of October.
He explained city’s tourism industry stakeholders and tourism-related businesses had been virtually ‘ bleeding’ since the implementation of the community quarantine last March that is why they are now ‘ crying for help’ to help them recover from the slump caused by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
The tourism official underscored that some tourism-related establishments are operating not to actually earn income but to allow their workers who had been with them for some time to earn income.
He stipulated that employers want to simply adopt their employees who had been staying with them through thick and thin, thus, their desire for the gradual opening of the local tourism industry to revive the vibrance of the economy without sacrificing the established health and safety protocols to prevent the possible rapid spread of the deadly virus.
He said that the City Tourism Office will be frequently providing the public with the updates on the opening of the city’s parks to residents and the development on the city’s bid to open the tourism industry to people from outside the city for the revival of the local economy.
By Dexter A. See
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