Negros Occidental Tourism

The “Probinsya Ko Libuton Ko” program of the provincial government has been a success, and surveys show that day tourists in towns and cities of Negros Occidental have increased by more than 150 percent, Provincial Tourism Officer, Jennylind Cordero, said yesterday.

Tourism awareness and pride of place has grown, Cordero said.

Considering the well-paved roads and accessibility of Negros Occidental’s destinations, plus accessible flights wherein one can take a fast craft which is just one hour away from Cebu and Panay, a tourist can also fly to Negros in the morning and go home in the evening, plus the long weekend holidays, she said.

Survey shows 840,805 day tourist or excursionist had been reported in 2009 compared to about 323,818 in 2008, Cordero said.

Packages for day tours include visits to beach and mountain resorts, museums, religious places of interest, sugar mill tours, sports events like golf, adventure tours like trekking, cycling, diving, attendance to festivals or simply enjoying Negrense delicacies and cuisine plus shopping, she also said.

The Negros Occidental Tourism Center in cooperation with the Department of Tourism and JICA is now preparing for the conduct of a new mode on survey of tourist arrivals wherein resorts and other accommodation facilities with LGU’s will be trained to have a uniform system of data collection and reporting all over the country, she said.