CAMIGUIN Island, a zone in northern Mindanao will have significant roles in sustainable development as it gearing to be one of the key destinations reflecting the diverse Asian culture and promoting economic growth in the country.
This year, the Camiguin government will even launch its new tourism brand and tourism campaign to attain one million arrivals.
“In a few weeks, we will launch our new tourism brand and our new tourism campaign,” said Camiguin Gov. Xavier Jesus Romualdo in his first State of the Province Address, on January 6.
“Through this new campaign, we intend to improve Camiguin as a choice holiday destination, get back to the pre-pandemic 800,000-900,000 tourist arrival level in the next two years and attain one million arrivals by the time my first term ends,” Romualdo said.
On January - September 2019, Camiguin recorded 790,471 tourist arrival and during the reopening on October 25, to December 2021 they registered 5,892.
No data for 2020 has been recorded since they closed the province for tourism due to the pandemic.
Romualdo said that the opening of tourist sites in this island province will not only help the local economy but also contribute to the national government’s recovery, the governor here said Monday.
Romualdo believed they will achieve the goal, after their tourism workers were protected by inoculating them with Covid-19 vaccines before the island's reopening to tourists on October 25, 2021.
“Then and now, the provincial government through the provincial tourism office continues to make sure that tourism in Camiguin is safe, not just for our visitors but more importantly for all our stakeholders and all of us residents,” he said.
To safeguard the health of their constituents, Romualdo said the local government closed its doors to tourists and visitors when Covid-19 emerged and only reopened for tourism and leisure in October 2021.
Thus, to aid in the province’s economic recovery, the local government initiated the orientation of 135 accommodation establishments in 2021, and upon inspection, they were found to be fully compliant with health and safety protocols.
The provincial government also gave technical assistance to stakeholders to equip them with the knowledge and skills to provide quality service to the province's visitors and guests.
In 2022, personnel of 40 establishments in the province was trained on proper housekeeping and the Filipino brand of service. Basic life support, water safety, and life-saving training were also provided to all tourism lifeguards in Camiguin.
Noting a decrease in tourist arrivals from the usual 800,000-900,000 to 114,953 as of November 2022, the governor said the provincial government targets continuously hold product updates, business-to-business events to promote the province to travel and tour operators, the media, and private companies in Cebu and Davao.
The province also participated in the 7th International Travel Festival in Cebu City and the 34th Philippine Travel Mart in Pasay.
The governor added that they will continue to participate in such events this year to promote the province as well as they will start going international again beginning with the World Travel Market in London, in November 2023.
They will also continue to improve the province’s tourism sites with Mantigue as the biggest project.
These and more projects are seen to be of big help in helping the economy as well as the livelihood of many locals.
“Our province may be the second smallest in the country but it is filled and immensely blessed with so much of nature's wonders,” said Romualdo adding that the beauty of their province is a source of great pride for all Camiguingnons and it is something that they always wanted the rest of the world to experience.
