ATOK, Benguet – The municipal government is elated on the reported continuous increase in tourist arrivals in the municipality following the drastic drop in temperatures that serves as one of the major attractions preferred by visitors frequenting the upland Benguet town.
Mayor Franklin L. Smith claimed that from the previous 100 to 300 tourists visiting the various tourist destinations in the municipality over the past several months, the number significantly increased to some 300 to 500 visitors daily which is a good sign that the local tourism industry is gradually and safely recovering from the heavy impact inflicted by the COVID-9 pandemic to the global economy.
For the past several days, the lowest temperature in the municipality stayed at a single digit, from 7 to 9 degrees Celsius, following the decline in the prevailing temperature in Baguio city that enticed more people to visit the place and enjoy the chilly morning weather.
Among the major tourist destinations in the municipality include the Northern Blossoms and Sakura Tree Park, aside from the various farm and nature destinations located in the different barangays.
However, Smith said that there is still a need to sustain the ongoing innovations in the local tourism industry, particularly the provision of sufficient parking areas and decent comfort rooms by the local tourism stakeholders, so that tourists are enticed to visit their desired destinations in the locality.
According to him, by providing decent facilities, visitors who have frequented the different tourist destinations in the municipality will be the ones to spread the good news that there are scenic and beautiful destinations in the locality worthy of being visited by their friends, relatives and other acquaintances.
Smith added that the local government is currently consulting with the local tourism industry stakeholders on how to implement the needed improvements in the current tourist destinations so that people are encouraged and enticed to make Atok one of their must-visit destinations when planning to spend their much-needed break in the highlands.
Atok also hosts the second highest elevation in the country’s Philippine highway system along Halsema Highway at more than 7,400 meters above sea level.
The mayor expressed his gratitude to the local tourism industry stakeholders for their utmost cooperation and active participation in the ongoing efforts of the municipal government and concerned government agencies to further improve the current status of present and future tourist destinations by ensuring their readiness for the expected influx of visitors with the relaxed implementation of community quarantine restrictions.
Smith reported that aside from vegetable farming, ecotourism is one of the town’s projected economic drivers in the future that is why at the earliest possible time, innovations in the said tourist destinations should already be ensured for the local tourism industry stakeholders to able to recover from the negative impact of the pandemic to their established sources of livelihood.
