TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Tourism in the region, as part of its thrust as the lead agency in the promotion of tourism sites in the country, will focus on extending help to local government units in the creation of operational plans that pertains to tourism.

The said assistance that the DoT will provide to the LGUs is part of the Tourism Law of 2009 that requires the agency to extend any form of assitance to the LGU’s needs with the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Authority (TIEZA), the infrastructure arm of the DoT.

“Each LGU should have a tourism plan in order for them to have a guide on where they will go and what they should do,” Tourism Regional Director Karina Rosa Tiopes said.

“We should not just design the plan because nothing will happen when we do not implement it,” Tiopes added.

Tiopes said that the LGUs and tourism stakeholders must know what they want to achieve in the coming years.

“They should have a clear blueprint of what they want,” Tiopes stressed.

“Do they want to increase the number of tourists arrivals in the next five years or do they want to add additional attraction to the current tourism packages that they offer,” Tiopes added.

Aside from assisting in the creation of tourism operational or master plan, their office will also provide assistance in the development or enhancing their existing tourism products.

Among the assistance in the development of the existing tourism products is by providing appropriate trainings for people’s organizations who will be assign at the forefront of the tourism promotion activities in their areas.

Aside from assistance for product development, the DoT can also provide assistance by assessing the newly identified tourist attraction sites and identify appropriate activities that can be accommodated or offer in the said areas.

Providing assistance to tourism stakeholders, according to Tiopes, is not just a sole duty of the DoT but rather a collaborative effort with some government agencies like the Department of Trade and Industry.

Aside from the DTI, there are international organizations that assist them in the tourism product and services development such as the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) through the value chain analysis that is currently being implemented by the two agencies.

The Department of Public Works and Highways is also included among the government agencies that is mandated to support tourism promotion as they are the lead agency in the infrastructure development that will assist to enhance and develop access to identified tourism sites. (Roel Amazona)