Tour operators to market Negros Oriental’s diverse destinations

DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines — Philippine Tour Operators Association Inc., the country’s leading and largest travel and tours group, and the provincial government of Negros Oriental joined hands in efforts to spur the tourism industry in the province.

For 2024, executive director and provincial tourism board chair of Negros Oriental Tourism Council Woodrow “RR” Maquiling Jr. said that the province targets 500,000 tourist arrivals, an increase from last year’s 272,000 inbound tourists.

The 2024 tourist arrival target is still far from the more than 1 million tourist arrival record in 2019, the last full year before the Philippines implemented travel restrictions due to COVID-19.

Maquiling, however, said that despite this, the Negros Oriental tourism numbers are picking up, reporting that in the first quarter of 2024 the province beached its 125,000 quarterly target and registered 142,000 tourist arrivals. This is a 155% increase from the 55,000 registered in Q1 of 2023.

He added that the Department of Tourism estimates that the 142,000 is equivalent to P2.8 billion revenue circulating among the people of the province.

The provincial tourism official said that tour operators can help Negros Oriental recover from the impact of COVID-19 and promoting the province to international and local clients.

“We had four governors in one term at the capitol. All the help you can extend to the province and the people of Negros Oriental ensuring that our tourism stays afloat is very much appreciated,” Maquiling said during the business-to-business session with PHILTOA and local stakeholders.

“PHILTOA will help us reach our goals, our targets. If we continue to push harder, maybe we can reach 600,000 arrivals by the end of the year,” he said in another speech last May 19, adding that 550,000 to 600,000 is equivalent to P10 to P12 billion revenue for the province.

Negros Oriental has faced several challenges amid the changes in leadership following the controversial killing of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo.

Currently, the province is led by Gov. Manuel "Chaco" Sagarbarría who assumed office in May 2023. Maquiling said tourism is among the top priorities of the incumbent