PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan (PIA) –The challenge for the domestic tourism industry is to provide the best experience for tourists, encouraging them to return and contribute to the ongoing economic recovery after the pandemic.
Michie Hitosis-Meneses of the Puerto Princesa City Tourism Office admitted that the COVID-19 pandemic tested the resiliency of the tourism industry, on which the city is heavily dependent.
“Naramdaman ng Puerto Princesa na mawalan ng turista kaya ang challenge for us is to make them stay. Kaya lagi namin pinapakiusap sa ating constituents, stakeholders, people of Puerto Princesa to let our tourists experience the best,” Meneses said.
The city is gearing its efforts toward becoming the country’s capital for meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE), as well as a host for international sports events.
The Provincial Tourism Office of Palawan, on the other hand, banks on the readiness, resiliency, and competitiveness of the province as a destination.
Palawan Tourism Officer Maribel Buñi said the province has gained more tourists compared to the last two years and aims to sustain the growth.
“We really have to get ready— We have experienced travel ban, loss of tourists, employment, livelihood. It really affected the tourism industry,” she said.
Palawan recorded an 87.47 percent increase in tourist arrivals in 2023, reaching 1,527,159 visitors compared to 814,621 in 2022. Local travelers play a crucial role, as evidenced by the 873,592 domestic tourists.
The Palawan tourism revenue earned reached P57.2 billion in 2023 from P30.5 billion in 2022.
The province’s top destinations include El Nido, Coron, San Vicente, Brooke’s Point, and Linapacan, with international visitors hailing from the United States, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Spain.
“We also have to protect what we have. We are a natural destination, and we have to anchor on protecting our destinations. We always say that we don’t just sell rooms; we sell experience,” she said.
The tourism office counts on the competitiveness of the tourism stakeholders, tourism workers, service providers, and investors.
The Palawan Tourism Council (PTC), which consists of different stakeholders in the tourism industry, assists in creating other types of tourism products.
Debbie Tan, a member of the PTC, stated that the organization promotes cultural and heritage tourism, highlighting the Palawan Liberation commemoration every April.
The developed tourism products also serve as alternative sites for tourists in the city and province, particularly during inclement weather that prohibits island-hopping activities.
“We are also trying to develop food tourism— we will not only concentrate on the city’s cultural and heritage sites. We also have a project with Ms. Maribel to also do that to the other municipalities,” she said.
Palawan also sells sunken wrecks as an additional tourism product for divers.
Meanwhile, Buñi said that the two surveys conducted by the tourism office in August and November revealed that tourists are “satisfied” with their safety and security during their stay, particularly in health.
She added that the public and private sectors are working on the potable water concerns in El Nido town.
“From that survey, satisfied naman sila, as to the survey says. I think the local government unit of El Nido and other relevant government agencies are actually looking into it,” she said. (RG/PIA MIMAROPA-Palawan)
