The Philippine Travel Agencies Association is projecting the province of Catanduanes to become a major tourism destination in the country in the next two years.
PTAA vice president for inbound Danilo Cerdeña said they will work closely with the local government units and the Department of Tourism to drum up tourism in the province.
“It is largely an untapped tourism destination. Travelers are hesitant to visit the province because it has the reputation of being the entry point of typhoons into the country. But during our familiarization tour, we have seen the vast potential of Catanduanes,” Cerdeña said.
“What we can do initially as an association is for our members to individually promote the province to their respective markets and come out with tour packages for Catanduanes and its eco-tourism destinations,” he added.
Cerdeña said they will also invite the province LGUs and its tourism offices to its events and activities, including the annual Travel Tour Expo. They will also provide slots for the province’s tourism stakeholders to the association’s various trainings and seminars.
At the same time, Cerdeña said PTAA will ask DOT for Catanduanes to be highlighted in events that it will attend internationally.
“There is slow development in terms of tourism infrastructure, and the province itself has yet to come out with a long-term tourism plan. There is also a lack of training for its tourism frontline officers,” Cerdeña said.
But Cerdeña said the province has also made strides, especially after it started a campaign last year branding the province as the country’s “Happy Island.”
“There is a bit of Batanes and Baler that can be found in the province. And it’s very friendly and accommodating people are its biggest asset,” he said.
At present, Catanduanes is an inexpensive destination, with travelers only needing P12,000 to enjoy a four-day, three-night basic tour package in the province, inclusive of promotional airfare and accommodation, Cerdeña added.
Government data showed that for the first half of 2016, only a combined 105,557 foreign and domestic tourists visited the province.
“The PTAA intends to boost tourist arrivals in the province. There is now a demand among travelers for alternative destinations in the country,” Cerdeña said.
The PTAA over the years has gone on familiarization tours across the Philippines in a bid to find and promote new destinations in the country.
During its familiarization tour in Catanduanes, among the places the PTAA visited included the centuries-old Saint John the Baptist Church, PAG-ASA weather radar station, Balacay View Point, Binurong View Point, Danicop View Deck, Nahulugan Falls, Puraran Beach, and Talisoy Beach.
Formed in 1978, the PTAA is the government’s leading partner in promoting and developing tourism in the country.