1ST LA UNION TOURISM SUMMIT TAKES CENTER STAGE (Department of Tourism – Region 1)
By: Joy Ann L. Gurtiza, GPC-PIO | Photo By: Sonny A. Buenaventura, GPC-MPIU | Date: September 24, 2019
Department of Tourism – Region 1 Regional Director Martin S. Valera discusses the current status of the tourism industry. He also emphasized other areas of tourism such as Agri-Tourism and culinary tourism during the Appreciation Night for Tourism Stakeholders as part of the La Union Tourism Summit 2019 held on September 24, 2019 at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Convention Hall, City of San Fernando, La Union.
The Provincial Government of La Union (PGLU) through the Provincial Information Office – Tourism Operations Unit spearheaded the first La Union Tourism Summit on September 24, 2019 at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Convention Hall, City of San Fernando, La Union. The activity highlighted the tourism and hospitality sectors’ contribution to the province’s economy.
Sangguniang Panlalawigan Member Christian I. Rivera, Chairperson of the Committee on Tourism, graced the event on behalf of Gov. Francisco Emmanuel “Pacoy” R. Ortega III. He stressed the importance of tourism as a support for an even greater inclusive growth.
Department of Tourism (DOT) – Region IVA Director Joseph Francisco “Jeff” R. Ortega, who represented DOT Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat in the summit, said tourism is the most inclusive sector. “It extends not just to the services provided by airlines and travel agencies, but also includes the culinary industry, retail, transportation, logistics, medical and agriculture. Indeed, a boost in tourism is a boost to the economy,” Dir. Ortega said.
Provincial Planning and Development Coordinator Michaela Louise T. Delfinado presented the La Union Tourism and its Sustainable Tourism Medium Term Strategy for 2019-2022. She emphasized that the province’s tourism sector must be given equal opportunity to grow because it paves the way for more economic development.
The Summit featured resource speakers who imparted their insights through six comprehensive forums: Forum 1 – Trends and Participation in Tourism Development by Eylla Laire M. Gutierrez of Asian Institute of Management (AIM); Forum 2 – An Economic Approach to Pursuing Sustainable Tourism by John Paolo R. Rivera of AIM; Forum 3 – The Impact of the Search Engine Optimization and E-Commerce in the Travel Industry by Rabbi Vincent L. Ang of Philippine Airlines; Forum 4 – The Cultural Contexts of Tourism by Felipe M. De Leon, Jr. of National Commission for Culture and the Arts; Forum 5 – The Uma Verde Eco-Nature Farm Experience by Kristine A. Ramos; and Forum 6 – The Villa Socorro Agri-Eco Village Success Story by Raymund Vincent F. Aaron.
The summit also housed an exhibit area with booths of tourism partners, top local products, and other organizations on tourism and entrepreneurship.
The grand launching of the L.O.V.E. La Union Tourism Brand Campaign and La Union Travel Brochure, Recognition and Induction of Tourism Organizations, and the Awarding Ceremonies for Best Tourism Practices for Tourism Enterprises were also done during the Grand Ball for Tourism Stakeholders.
“This is a breakthrough for the provincial government to come up with concerted efforts to promote tourism,” said DOT – Region 1 Regional Director Martin S. Valera during the Appreciation Night. “We can do more and a lot better if we have one direction and have common goals in promoting tourism in La Union,” he added.
Recognized as Outstanding Local Government Unit (LGU) Implementer of Tourism Development Planning Initiatives were the Municipal Governments of Aringay, Pugo and Santo Tomas while the Outstanding LGU Implementer of Tourism Statistics Reporting were Bauang, Agoo and Naguilian. Also recognized were, the Consistent Accredited Tourism Enterprises for the last three years in the several categories such as hotel and resort, restaurant, travel agency and tour operators, tour guides and tourism sites.
Anchored on the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s World Tourism Day 2019 theme “Tourism and Jobs: A Better Future for All,” the Summit gathered around 300 participants which include representatives from LGUs; national line agencies; sectoral representatives from agriculture, tourism, environment and academe; tourism industry key leaders; tourism and business organizations; non-governmental organizations; entrepreneurs and other major key players in tourism.
The summit was conducted as an offshoot of previous coordination among various tourism stakeholders to level up all the initiatives in promoting the province as the Heart of Agri-Tourism in Northern Luzon by 2025.
