SAN JUAN, Abra – The Torismo Isulong Mo Party-list group urged provinces, cities, municipalities and barangays to formulate their respective comprehensive tourism master development plans as a basis of concerned government agencies in providing the support to the development of tourism that will be able to create vibrant communities and productive individuals in the countryside.
Tourism Isulong Mo Party-list 2nd nominee and former three-term San Juan Mayor Marco Bautista admitted that the Philippines has been left out in terms of tourism development in the Southeast Asian region and that Northern Luzon, including the Cordillera, has way been left out in tourism development in the country, thus, the need for local governments to be aggressive in the formulation of their comprehensive tourism master development plans as blueprints for tourism development in their areas of jurisdiction.
He disclosed that the Torismo Isulong Mo Party-list group will serve as the voice of the tourism industry in the halls of Congress because the group will be aggressively advancing legislative measures that will help in advancing the state of tourism in the country for the potential tourism destinations to be at par with well-known tourist spots in the country.
The nominee admitted that tourism is actually one of the major economic drivers not only of the country but also communities that is why premium must be given on the aggressive implementation of programs, projects and activities that will help in advancing the state of tourism in the country as part of the ongoing efforts to gradually and safely revive the local economy.
According to Bautista, one of the initiatives of their party-list group is to work for the revival of the tourism road improvement projects for convergence (TRIPC) that will provide for the aggressive development and improvement of roads leading to numerous tourist destinations in the country and provide better opportunities for foreign and domestic tourists to move around and contribute in spurring economic growth in the remote areas.
With the availability of the comprehensive tourism master development plans of local governments up to the barangays, Bautista explained that it will be easier for concerned government agencies to pinpoint the high impact development projects that can contribute in enticing foreign and domestic tourists to move around as the infrastructure in such destinations shall have been put in place.
He pointed out that tourism will definitely contribute in the overall efforts of the government to spur economic growth and development with the least damages that will be inflicted on the environment as ecotourism is one of the greater assets of the Cordillera destinations that tend to entice nature lovers to frequent the region because of its scenic and pristine tourist spots.
Bautista expressed hope that concerned tourism industry stakeholders will fully support the cause of the Torismo Isulong Mo Party-list group so that they will have a better chance of pushing and working for the aggressive implementation of tourism development measures to help in bringing back the vibrance of the tourism industry for better economic activities.
By HENT
Photo by Armando M. Bolislis
