The Palawan Provincial Government is aiming to build a community-based tourism site as it tackled measures to boost economic recovery during a tourism forum held on Friday, March 17, at the VJR Hall of the Provincial Building.
The tourism forum was headed by Palawan Governor Victorino Dennis Socrates, the Provincial Tourism Promotions and Development Office (PTPDO) represented by PTPDO Officer Maribel Buni, and the Provincial Gender and Development (GAD) Office.
Socrates said that community-based tourist destinations should be focused on as the provincial government plans to showcase that the tourism industry is once again on its way back to revival, after being massively impacted by the pandemic outbreak three years ago.
“Alam naman nating lahat na turismo ang inaasahang magpapalago sa ating ekonomiya na ngayon ay nagsisimula nang manumbalik,” Socrates said.
Buni emphasized the vital role of local communities in uplifting the status of tourism in the province.
“Ang turismo ay walang kinikilalang boundary so we cut across all areas, kahit saan nandiyan tayo. Kinikilala natin ang role o papel na ginagampanan ng lokal na komunidad sa pagpapayabong sa industriya ng turismo,” Buni said.
The forum also tackled the concept plan for the creation of a Community-Based Tourism Site and action plans on how the community, government, and other stakeholders can sustain it.
The meeting was attended by various representatives from municipal tourism offices around the province and other barangay officials.
