Broader Tourism Data Analysis To Boost Economy

             The Department of Tourism (DOT) further reinforced its technical assessment of tourism traffic to the country to capture the aggregate and accurate state of tourism and its contribution to the economy.

             “We have expanded our assessment to include a more systematic and in-depth analysis of top destinations to provide a clearer insight on the tourism movements throughout the country.  Understanding these movements allows us to create strategies to further support the development of these destinations.  This system also creates awareness for these places in the national level,” said Tourism Secretary Ace Durano.

             Top destinations are referred to as those that have at least 100,000 foreign tourists annually and have received substantial tourism-related investments.

             Since its adoption in 2008, the new system has propelled several previously unknown local sites to the main tourism circuit, such as Camsur, which enjoyed a 117.25% growth in foreign and domestic arrivals in 2009.

             The tourism chief added that the enhanced system also aims to empower local government units (LGU) to gather information and generate ideas for tourism development in their area.

             “We have actively engaged in a campaign, with the help of Japan, to train local officers in monitoring tourism traffic in their respective destinations.  Empowering them builds up their capacity to create policies and strategies to stimulate tourism and boost livelihood in their areas,” explained Durano.

            Since 2006, the DOT has maintained a partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for a statistical-capacity building program in the local government level.  The ongoing campaign, called the DOT-JICA Technical Cooperation Program Management (TCPM), taps more than 100 LGUs to standardize their data collection methodology which is used to analyze tourism information culled from hotels, resorts and other tourism accommodations in their areas.

             According to Director Alan Cañizal of the Tourism Development Planning, “The campaign capitalizes on the more attuned perception of locals for mining information about their sites.  It also generates consciousness among community members, from the top to the grassroots, to manage their own destination and help promote it.”

             DOT’s new documentation process has also started integrating data collected from the newly-released arrival/departure cards (A/D).  Bearing more detailed information on passengers, the new A/D cards include questions on Type of Accommodation, Education/ Training, Official Mission, Religion/ Pilgrimage, Health, and Transit.

             “More details on travellers will certainly help us create new and relevant products for our regular and niche markets.  We are moving towards a fresh, revitalized approach,” said Undersecretary Eduardo Jarque, Jr.

             “These innovations are logical and necessary if we want to keep up with the ever- changing market trends.  With this detailed breakdown and analysis of data, the tourism industry is able to respond to needs, create demand and serve our foreign and local tourists.

         All these lead to a more robust tourism industry which translates to more jobs for Filipinos,” Durano said.

–
Office of the Undersecretary for Planning & Promotions
Department of Tourism - Manila
Tel. No.  524-1694

Casa San Pablo Overnight Stay - Valentine Weekend 2010 Part III

The following is a post I drafted while we were staying in Casa San Pablo last Feb. 14, 2010. Can I just say  that so far, this has been the best Valentine weekend celebration of my entire life?! ^_^

For those who want to read this travelogue from the beginning, please check the links below:

Lake Caliraya Surf Kamp, Japanese Garden and Lagos del Sol - Valentine Weekend 2010 Part I

Windsurfing at Lake Caliraya Surf Kamp - Valentine Weekend 2010 Part II

~~~oOo~~~

Feb . 14, 2010… I now sit here, at Casa San Pablo, one of the nicest bed and breakfast places my hubby and I have ever been to, feeling so happy and content with my life. We checked in here last night (Feb. 13, 2010), right after our windsurfing activity. Well, not necessarily right after, coz we still had to drive for almost 2 hours just to get to San Pablo City  from Caliraya. The moment we entered the resort, we were just so enamored by it’s tranquility and beauty. We immediately checked-in so we can change into our swimming attire and enjoy the swimming pool under the stars. 

Click here to see more of our Casa San Pablo Valentine weekend…

Tree Drop at Subic Treetop Adventure: A Preview

Windsurfing at Lake Caliraya Surf Kamp - Valentine 2010 Part II

The following is a post I drafted while we were staying in Casa San Pablo last Feb. 14, 2010. Can I just say  that so far, this has been the best Valentine weekend celebration of my entire life?! ^_^

For those who want to read this travelogue from the beginning, please check the link below:

 Lake Caliraya Surf Kamp, Japanese Garden and Lagos del Sol - Valentine Weekend 2010 Part I

~~~oOo~~~

While figuring out where next to go, we saw this  cottage-like dining place. We remembered this was the same food stop we’ve been to some 4 years ago, when we first did our Laguna road trip with Ate Rose. The place was already much bigger but it has the same scenic view of the lake at the back. I wondered if the food is still the same — scrumptious, affordable and comes in large servings. It is!

See more windsurfing action at Caliraya Surf Kamp here.

Lake Caliraya Surf Kamp, Japanese Garden and Lagos del Sol - Valentine 2010 Part I

  The following is a post I drafted while we were staying in Casa San Pablo last Feb. 14, 2010. Can I just say  that so far, this has been the best Valentine weekend celebration of my entire life?! ^_^
~~~oOo~~~

It’s amazing how when you’ve done something you never really thought you could do, you open yourself up to more creative ventures you never even bothered to think about before. This phenomenon may have something to do with being able to accept yourself, your strengths, your weaknesses, and acknowledging the fact that you can be limitless, albeit imperfect, if you really want to be.

Take for instance what happened to me this Valentine weekend. I did plan to take up windsurfing lessons. I first fell in love with this water sport, no matter how superficial it was at first, when I marshalled the Neil Pryde Fun Board Cup in Boracay last January of 2008. Being a marshall at that time, for one whole week, I witnessed a lot of action in the windsurfing and kite boarding divisions. They all looked fun and I thought if these people can do it, maybe I could too! But weeks turned to months, and months turned to two years, and still, I didn’t have the courage nor the time to go windsurfing.  Then finally, on our Valentine weekend this year, I thought it’s about time that I give it a try.

 Caliraya Surf Kamp

 Entrance is Php75 for day trippers and Php150 each for overnight campers. You can rent a tent for about Php300 or bring your own.

We went to Caliraya Lake in Laguna in the early morning of Feb. 13, 2010. It was freaking cold… I wasn’t wearing any bra (like I usually do) and so my nips were really crying for attention. It was even colder than that time when we went to Baguio for my birthday 3 years ago, and with the wind blowing so strong plus the occasional drizzle, I started getting anxious. Could I really do this? Am I really up for it? Do I really, really want this? And so like my doubting psyche would sometimes do to me, I started noticing the other unpleasant things about this  whole trip. The venue was at Caliraya Surf Kamp where the famous lake is located. It was pure nature. There were no cottages, no proper toilets and bathrooms, the soil was made of  silt, full of moss and other seemingly yucky and slippery substances. It would surely be uncomfortable and I didn’t have to undergo this kind of hassle.

See more about Lake Caliraya, Japanese Garden and Lagos del Sol here.