DAVAO CITY – The Department of Tourism (DoT) will actively engage the farmers and the religious sector to boost farm, faith and the halal tourism programs as it targets an eight million tourist arrivals this year.
Tourism Assistant Secretary Eden Josephine David said this year’s campaign of the DoT is geared towards promoting Mindanao where farm, faith tourism, and the halal industry are viable to draw more tourists.
David said DoT is pushing Farm Tourism not only to boost the industry but it also ensures food security. She said apart from the new sunshine industry there is also a particular law that mandates the development of a Farm Tourism Development Act authored by Senator Cynthia Villar.
She said that under the Act the Tourism Secretary is chair of Farm Tourism Development Board while the Department of Agriculture (DA) as vice chair.
“It’s really a tripartite partnership and the private sector is part of this such as the tour operators, national farm tourism operator, commerce cooperative and we are also being assisted by the academe,” David said.
She said that through Farm Tourism, DoT can also help the countrysides and the government’s food security program. She added that this also boosts the DA’s battlecry of engaging more young people in farming given that the number of farmers are getting old.
“To engage the young generation we have the sexier version of getting into farming and that’s farm tourism,” David said. There are already 34 accredited farm tourism facilities in the country.
DoT, however, is still catering for more farm tourism sites.
In Davao City, David said DoT is working closely with Malagos Agri-Venture in terms of promoting the chocolate tour. There are also other ready fruit tours such as banana and durian tour.
She said the role of DoT is more on providing the technical of promoting the farm tourism sites and enhance the farms services.
She said DOT will provide training and workshops for the workforce in these facilities.
“When you think of Davao you think of Durian, chocolate or pomelo when we think of Baguio we think of strawberry, Calabarzon for coffee, Tuna for GenSan so this is destination marketing,” David said.
DOT is also banking on Faith Tourism inching on the pilgrimage activities that are faith-based such as festivals like Sinulog, Penafrancia, and Translacion.
David said DoT is also eyeing to pilot key destinations for Muslim-friendly tourist destinations.
“We cannot strictly follow Halal per se because everything about the process should really be Halal even from financing part down to the food and services,” she said.
She also said that as far as tourism is concerned there is no standard for Hall tourism services as long as all of the value chain for Muslim friendly destinations should be in place.
David also underscored Mindanao’s other products that could entice tourists and positively promote Mindanao and ensure connectivity is in place. (Maya Padillo/PNA)
