The Cordillera office of the Department of Tourism (DOT-CAR) recently launched the Search for Best Tourism Village in the region to help add value to existing tourist destinations and help in enhancing the growth of the local tourism industry for it to recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
DOT-CAR regional director Jovita Ganongan stated that application for the search will be until December 23, 2022 to be followed by on-site evaluation and assessment of the entries by the designated members of the assessment team.
She pointed out that the competition is geared towards recognizing and awarding villages for embracing tourism as opportunities for growth and development and drive sustainable development in the countryside.
Among the objectives of the Search for Best Tourism Village include the recognition of the important role of tourism villages toward ushering in a more sustainable, responsible, equitable and participatory rural tourism development; provision of incentives to tourism villages that are embracing tourism and providing opportunities for sustainable development; promotion of responsible tourism as a strategy for environmentally sound and community participatory tourism programs, enlisting the participation of local communities, including indigenous peoples and to maintain international standards of excellence in community-based tourism facilities and services in the Cordillera and promote the region as a safe and wholesome tourist destination.
The Best Tourism Village will be receiving P1 million plus a trophy and token; the second placer will be receiving P500,000 plus a trophy and token; the third placer will be receiving P200,000 plus a trophy and tokens, while there will be 5 consolation prices that will be receiving P100,000 plus certificates of recognition and tokens each.
The criteria for judging include sustainable management – 25 percent; socio-economic sustainability – 25 percent; cultural sustainability – 25 percent and environmental sustainability 25 percent.
Ganongan disclosed that the competition is open to all existing and emerging tourism villages in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) covering the provinces of Abra, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga, Mountain Province and Apayao.
The applicants will be evaluated by a screening committee where qualified applicants will be notified by the DOT-CAR and a team will conduct a physical visit for authentication.
Application forms for the competition are now available in all provincial tourism offices and municipal tourism offices of all local governments throughout the CAR.
The DOT-CAR official claimed that the competition is open to either individual or community that have existing tourism villages with systems that are already in place for the benefit of the aggressive marketing and promotion of tourism in the different parts of the region.
She called on interested applicants to already file their applications by filling out the available application forms for the immediate scheduling of assessments and evaluation of the tourism villages.
