Dapitan City holds tourism forum

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?&sid=6&pfn=849312&arch=1&go=Go&search_arch=Dapitan%20City&andor=and&mdte_arch=1&ddte_arch=0&ydte_arch=2016

DAPITAN CITY, Zamboanga del Norte, Jan. 22 (PNA) – The city government is holding Friday the First Dapitan City Tourism Stakeholders Forum aimed to achieve economic development through tourism, trade and investment.

City Tourism Officer Apple Marie Agolong said the holding of the forum is to embark on a new tourism development thrust called Dapitan City Culture, Arts, Tourism and Heritage Program.

Agolong said the implementation of new program starts this month with the active involvement and participation of the socio-civic cultural communities as well as from the government and non-government organizations in the various cultural, arts, tourism, heritage, investment, trade and community service endeavors.

Agolong said the forum is also geared towards drafting a five-year Tourism Development Plan, which would integrate all the concerns shared by the different sectors.

She said they will identify solutions to the recent adverse travel advisory issued by some foreign embassies and develop an integrated marketing program geared towards achieving this city's tourism, trade and investment goals including but not limited to the creation of a communications and public relations plan to counter the deterrent factors of the advisories.

She said local tourism, which is deeply anchored on its rich cultural heritage, is now a major contributor of this city's economic growth revolving not just to the three major heritage-related celebrations namely: the Kinabayo Festival in July; the Founding Anniversary Celebration in November; and, the Handuraw Festival in December, but to the other monthly activities which are always crowd drawers.

The monthly festivals are as follows: Kagang Festival in February; Tuloy Festival in May; World Costume Festival in June; and, Ulang Festival in November thereby also making this city to be known the “city of festivals.”

Agolong said the religious activities such as the observance of Lent and Santacruzan are among the crowd drawer activities.

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She noted that pension houses and other investments are increasing as there are still a lot of other local, national and international activities the city is hosting and had positive effected to the local economy. (PNA)

FPV/TPGJR/Hirohito D. Cadion