LINGAYEN, Pangasinan – World Tourism Day celebration this 27th of September became more momentous in Pangasinan with the provincial government launching a provincewide event which sought to gear up tourism youth ambassadors.
Governor Amado “Pogi” I. Espino, III addressed hundreds of Pangasinense college students taking up tourism and hospitality management courses who gathered together at the Sison Auditorium, here, recently for the 1st Pangasinan Tourism Youth Conference which was organized by the Provincial Tourism and Cultural Affairs Office (PTCAO) in collaboration with the North Philippines Visitors’ Bureau (NPVB) and the Pangasinan Visitors’ Bureau (PVB).
“Its has been the drive of the provincial government to attract more tourists in Pangasinan,” said Governor Espino as he recalled that it was his father, former Pangasinan Governor and now 5th District Representative Amado T. Espino, Jr, who set the pace in strengthening the foundation of tourism development in Pangasinan.
Urging the youth to advocate promotion of Pangasinan tourism, Governor Espino exhorted them to “explore and appreciate first the various tourism destinations in their home province, Pangasinan.”
“The activity, aligned with the tourism development agenda of the province and the I Love Pangasinan (ILP) Movement, is a component activity of the Pangasinan Tourism month celebration,” PTCAO Chief Malu Elduayan said.
Elduayan bared that the tourism youth conference forms part of the various tourism development projects initiated by the provincial government which started from the previous leadership of the elder Espino and are being sustained by his son and namesake, Governor Espino.
The tourism and cultural affairs officer further noted the active leadership of the provincial administration in bracing support to students from higher education institutions (HEIs) in the province who will soon become key players in the tourism industry.
Meanwhile, NPVB Strategic Services Manager Rhycel Marcelo-Monserrate cited the launching of the tourism youth conference as a demonstration of the provincial government’s active engagement for tourism development.
“In fact in all youth conferences that we have attended so far, this is the most-decent; the venue is very beautiful. Everything was really prepared,” she stressed.
“The energy of tourism movers in Pangasinan is filled with passion to make the event successful for the good of the young Pangasinenses,” she added.
PVB President Michelle Lioanag, on the other hand, noted that the tourism youth conference would help the tourism and hospitality management students enhance their knowledge on tourism aspects and the opportunities in tourism that they can venture out.
Lioanag likewise said that the youth conference would emphasize the prime need to highlight local tourism and culture in a wider scale in dealing with tourism.
Lectures included during the conference were: Blog About Your Passion, Young Travel and Tour Entreprenuership, Tourism Event Organizing for the Youth and Digital Tourism Marketing.
NPVB and PVB orientations, along with the briefing for the ILP Movement, were also conducted.
By Dexter A. See
