LAOAG CITY — In support of the government’s rural economic development plan, the Department of Tourism (DOT) has partnered with the Ilocos Norte Travel Agencies Association (INTAA) to encourage Ilocano farm owners to venture into the business of agri-tourism.
Trixie Ablan, spokesperson of the INTAA, said Friday they plan to upgrade the tourism packages offered in Ilocos Norte so it would include DOT-accredited farm sites.
Farm owners and tour operators in the province are gearing up to strengthen agri-tourism industry following the conduct of the seminar workshop, “Ilocanos for Farm Tourism”, attended by some 32 farm owners from across the province. The three-day seminar workshop, held at the Northview Hotel in this city, ended on Thursday.
“There are so many farms in the province, such as in Dingras, Burgos and Adams. We intend to promote these local farms as additional itinerary to our existing Laoag-Vigan tourism package,” said Ablan, as she reported that the new tour packages will be in close coordination with farm owners ready to join the tourism business.
“A farm before was just ordinary but now, we are grateful that we are exposed to a seminar like this. We learned a lot how to promote our products, especially now that we have begun processing our fruits into wine, and dried mangoes,” said Ricardo Tolentino, who manages 10 mango plantations located in various parts of the province.
After the seminar-workshop, Tolentino said he plans to add tourism amenities, such as visitors’ function hall and comfort rooms to three of his mango farms in Barangays Barit and Dungtal in Laoag and in neighboring Vintar town.
The Tolentino farm features an integrated farming system, offering sweet mangoes during the fruit season and some value-adding products, such as mango wine and dried mangoes.
Ron and Aurora Cook, owners of an animal farm in Santa Maria village, Laoag City, said they gained a lot of valuable information on how to get into the business.
“The seminar is enlightening. It makes you think of the things you are missing and the things you don’t have and how you are going to package it in order to join the market,” said Cook.
The seminar topics include an introduction to farm tourism in the Philippines, getting ready for tourist arrivals, maximizing government support, marketing of farm tourism enterprise, sustainability in tourism development, manpower management, tourism services management, farm safety, climate-smart agriculture, inclusive business and community-based tourism, financing a farm tourism enterprise, tour packaging and pricing.
Evangeline Dadat, Supervising Tourism Officer of DOT 1 (Ilocos region), expressed hope that more farm owners would be able to enter the tourism industry as she assured them that the DOT is always ready to assist.
“We want to give more farm owners a chance to enter the tourism industry. We continue to provide seminars to level up their knowledge and skills and how to be connected with the tourism industry,” said Dadat, adding that farm tourism sites need to be accredited by the DOT to further strengthen their business in terms of promotions, marketing and training for free.
Keneth de Gracia, Tourism and Training Director of the Costales Nature Farms in Laguna, shared several tips on how to turn farm sites into a must-go place for local and foreign tourists.
“North Luzon has a big potential for farm tourism, considering the high number of tourist arrivals. The market is already there,” de Gracia said, adding that tour operators can help owners market their farms as tourist destinations. (Leilanie Adriano/PNA)
