By PR| 08:11 PM September 24, 2024
Bohol is strengthening its resolve to pursue sustainable tourism by reconstituting the Provincial Tourism Council (PTC).
The PTC convened on September 24 to tackle its reorganization.
Under Executive Order No. 25, series of 2024, the PTC is chaired by the governor, and co-chaired by a private sector representative.
Co-chairs are the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) Committee on Tourism and a private sector representative with the Bohol Provincial Tourism Office (BPTO) as secretariat.
Meanwhile, the Executive Board will be composed of six government sector representatives and nine private sector representatives.
The general assembly determined that the nine private sector representatives will comprise the Bohol Association of Hotel Resorts and Restaurants, Bohol Arts and Cultural Heritage Council, Bohol Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Bohol Alliance of Travel and Tour Operators, Bohol Confederation of Tourism Transport Service Providers, Bohol Tourism Officers Association, Tour Guides, Media and Dive Operators.
Lawyer Lucas Nunag, PTC co-chair, explained the council has trimmed membership to include sectors directly related to the tourism industry and to highlight private sector involvement.
The meeting also tackled issues and concerns raised by the different sectors.
Joanne Pinat, the officer in charge of the BPTO, assured the issues have been brought to the governor’s attention and will be discussed with related agencies.
It will be integrated into the ongoing revisit of the Bohol Tourism Code by the SP Committee on Tourism now chaired by Board Member Jamie Aumentado Villamor, she added.
She also reported on the province’s tourism status and prospects.
Gov. Erico Aristotle Aumentado, the PTC chair, vowed he has issued directives for actionable concerns and emphasized compliance with tourism regulations in efforts towards sustainable tourism.
Last week, he met with Judy Gabato, the new Department of Tourism Central Visayas Regional Director, on the training of tourism service providers, and inclusion of tour guide accreditation, especially for foreign business providers.
The PTC is crucial as a policy-making and recommendation body for tourism-related programs, projects, and activities as the province bolsters its standing as a prime tourism destination.
Bohol continues to be looked up to as a tourism and travel hub, boasting over a million tourist arrivals last year and topping a survey on tourism investment areas.
It is poised to reach higher levels of tourism growth and development with pilot trails to be launched under the Regenerative Tourism program, aligned with its strategic governance framework and its designation as the first and only UNESCO Global Geopark in the country. (PIMO/LMS)
