MikeLigalig.com

by EDCOM

Bohol is set to come up with its own standardized statistical data on tourism as a new partnership between the provincial government and Bohol Island State University (BISU) was signed and sealed on Tuesday.

During the observance of the World Tourism Day, a Memorandum of Agreement was signed by Governor Edgar M. Chatto and BISU President Dr. Elpidio Magante for linkage and collaboration towards the development agenda of the provincial government.

The MOA for research is specific to the enhancement of capacity for the establishment of tourism satellite accounts, a standardized statistical system to gather data which the province will use as basis for tourism planning.

Speaking to over five hundred Tourism and Hotel and Restaurant Management students from BISU, University of Bohol, and Bohol Institute of Technology, Chatto shared that tourism is the world’s fastest growing industry, employing 10% of the global workforce.

Chatto, who was chair of the Committee on Tourism of the House of Representatives and author of the Tourism Act of 2009 when he was in Congress, also imparted learnings from United Nations-World Tourism Organization (UN-WTO) travels to Panama and Colombia where he learned that the Asian Region is fast rising as a travel destination in the world tourism market.

“Tourism arrival statistics in the country is growing. The greater challenge, therefore, for Bohol is to move upwards and to do that, we must be able to keep up with internationally observed standards,” he said.

The MOA signing coincided with a forum on green tourism organized by the Bohol Tourism Office. Themed “Greening Ourselves for a Greener Tourism Industry,” the forum tackled green infrastructure, healthy eating and healthy living.

Provincial Tourism Council Chairperson lawyer Lucas Nunag reminded the academe of one important aspect of the tourism industry in the province when he stated, “When it comes to abusing our environment and our culture, the phrase ‘The customer is always right’ does not apply.”

Resource speakers in the forum also included Zenaida Darunday and Marie Antonette Madrinan-Bolo.

Chatto underscored the vital partnership of government and the private sector in the growth of the tourism industry in the province. Tourism has been on top of the development agenda of the province, as an engine for equitable growth. (Leah/EDCom)

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