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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Nature, cultural activities eyed to boost Samar's tourism in the new normal

Nature, cultural activities eyed to boost Samar's tourism in the new normal

Published Sep 28, 2021 03:32 pm

The Department of Tourism (DOT) is eyeing to enhance tourism circuits and products in the province of Samar in line with the preference of pandemic travelers on outdoor activities.

(Photo from Samar Provincial Tourism Office)

"As travel restrictions are being eased, tourists can look forward to exciting new tourism circuits and products that are being developed by our regional offices together with the local government units (LGUs) and private stakeholders," Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said on Tuesday, Sept. 28.

Puyat bared the Department's plans to further enhance tourism development in the Samar province, including the Leyte-Samar Interface Tourism Circuit and the Barobaybay Mangrove Ecopark.

In the recent domestic travel survey of DOT, the agency noted a shift in local tourism preferences as travelers are now looking to incorporate outdoor activities in their leisure travel.

With this, the DOT has been working with various LGUs in the country's popular tourist destinations to develop tourism products and circuits to urge domestic tourists to travel amid the pandemic.

Aside from outdoor activities, the tourism chief also commended the featured dishes under the "Secret Kitchens of Samar," a gastronomy campaign of the provincial government under the Spark Samar tourism drive.

The campaign features the province’s culinary heritage that is passed on and recipes long kept and treasured within their families including tamalos, borracho, sumsuman or pulutan, sura or viand, kakanin, and postre or dessert.

For 2022, the DOT is looking to improve the Cultural Heritage Cruise on the Basey River, the development of the Tandaya Trail 3, and the assessment of potential tourism products in Calbayog.

"With so much to look forward to for Samar’s tourism, I hope everyone continues to tap into the spirit of Bayanihan. We are part of a community that can only move forward and progress as one if we all do our part in helping and supporting each other," Puyat added.

The provincial government of Samar has also rolled out its vaccination drive for tourism workers in the province to help in the safe revival of the travel and tourism industry there.

The DOT said 26 percent of the 350 tourism workers in Samar's accommodation establishments already received their jabs, while 93 percent of the tourism forntliners in the entire Eastern Visayas region have already been either fully or partially vaccinated.

Related Tags

bernadette romulo-puyat ecotourism tourism Department of Tourism (DOT) nature outdoor activities cultural heritage Samar Travel
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