By Azer N. Parrocha
MANILA — Western Visayas is popular for Boracay but that’s not all as Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo is bent on cross-selling the region’s other province destinations.
Teo said on Friday that DOT-Region VI is currently offering a wide variety of tour itineraries in efforts to cross-sell different attractions. Cross-selling refers to selling a different product or service to existing customers.
“Region 6 has so much to offer for all types of visitors. They have batchoy and sweetest mangoes for those into food trips, and there’s the Ati-Atihan for those who are seeking exotic festivity,” Teo said.
She noted that among the available itineraries include activities centered on nature-based tourism, eco-tourism, sun and beach, diving and marine sports, cruise and nautical. Also available are culture and heritage, pilgrimage, leisure and entertainment, M.I.C.E., education, culinary, and farm tourism.
Meanwhile, the tour packages include the Iloilo heritage and mystery tours, island adventure and escapade tours of Guimaras, Capiz, Antique, Aklan and Negros, as well as back-to-back trips with the island-towns of Carles, Ajuy-Concepcion, and the Gigantes group of islands.
Tour packages consist of land and sea tourist transports, entrance fees, accredited tour guides, and typical Ilonggo meals and snacks.
Undersecretary Alma Rita Jimenez pointed out that that with cross-selling of tourist destinations, localities become partners in tourism development by “sharing and exchanging” visitors.
DOT Region VI Regional Director Helen Catalbas pointed out that Western Visayas is a major contributor to the country’s tourist arrivals, noting that it is the only region with two international airports (Kalibo and Iloilo) and three domestic airports (Caticlan in Aklan; Roxas in Capiz; and San Jose de Buenavista in Antique).
Nearby Negros Occidental has the Bacolod-Silay International Airport. It remains a part of Western Visayas until the newly-formed Negros Region is activated.
The region is currently featured at the DOT Showroom, highlighting the destinations, native crafts and farm produce from the provinces of Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras and Iloilo. (PNA)
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