TABUK CITY, Kalinga – The provincial government will be engaging the private sector to work on the needed improvement of tourism-related facilities following the expected influx of foreign and domestic visitors triggered by the twin record-setting events that placed Kalinga in the global tourism map with its recent fete.
Gov. James Edduba underscored the need for the concerned government agencies, local governments and the private sector to align their respective programs, projects and activities to cater to the expected increase in tourist arrivals because of the recent achievement of Kalinga as the province known globally as the holder of two newly established records under the new categories of the Guinness Book of World Records.
Last week, Kalinga set the record for the Largest Gong Ensemble with 3,440 male gong players that simultaneously played their gongs and the Largest ‘Banga’ Dance with some 4,681 female dancers carrying the clay pots on their heads and dancing with high proficiency during the Awong chi Gangsa, Agtun chi Banga held at the Kalinga Sports Complex.
“We have to work on how we can significantly improve our tourism-related facilities to cater to the expected surge in tourist arrivals. We want to also showcase the beauty of our pristine destinations for our foreign and domestic tourists to be fully aware of what to expect when visiting the province,” Gov. Edduba stressed.
The governor claimed that nature-lovers will surely be amazed by the various trekking destinations previously opened aside from the white water rafting and other water sports that could be conducted along the stretch of the mighty Chico river and other tributaries.
According to him, there is a need for the local governments to update their respective comprehensive tourism master development plans to be aligned with the government’s thrust of enticing foreign and domestic tourists to visit emerging destinations in the different parts of the country like Kalinga which is now one of the record holders in the Guinness Book of World Records.
Edduba admitted that the more than two years of preparation for the conduct of the two record-setting events was challenging but it will be more challenging for the province to sustain the same and work on the needed improvements of the various tourism facilities to conform with standards that will help in enticing tourists to explore the beauty and wonders of the province.
The provincial chief executive emphasized there is an enormous task ahead for the concerned government agencies, local government units and the private sector in sustaining the gains of the recent record-setting event and that the government cannot do this alone, thus, the need for the active involvement of the private sector to elevate the province’s tourism industry to a higher level that will serve as a major driver of the local economy.
Aside from tourism, he stipulated that Kalinga is also banking on the province’s rich culture and traditions to be able to recover from the heavy impact inflicted by the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly the creation and generation of more jobs for the people and the revival of sources of income to drumbeat the ongoing recovery efforts.
He pointed out the need for local tourism stakeholders to be able to provide the basic needs of tourists when visiting the province so that visitors will be enticed to spread the word of the wonder and beauty of Kalinga which are worth visiting.
