Visit Bohol 2015: Let's Help Boost Philippine Tourism

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The three-day 'Visit Bohol 2015' event last January 9 to 11, 2015 has just concluded at the Glorietta Activity Center in Makati city last Sunday but our adventure in Bohol is just about to begin. Hopefully we would see Bohol sometime this year as soon as we get all necessary arrangements and scheduling polished and finalized before summer time ends.

With special guest Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Mon Jimenez inspiring the crowd as Keynote Speaker, plus the presence of other key players leading the 'Visit Bohol 2015' tourism campaign, the event aims to revitalize the province's image and entice more visitors to come to Bohol.

Defiantly rising from the rubble of the previous calamities that struck it, Bohol would not be a hard sell since inspite many tourist attractions that were brought down and damaged, the province continues to remain one of the most promising tourist destinations offering a wide variety of experiences that will fascinate all senses.

As the host of the launch said, you cannot afford to die without seeing the tarsier. You can not fully say you've been to Bohol if you have not seen the adorable creature with its eyes almost popping out to greet you welcome to Bohol.

'Visit Bohol 2015' was launched under the leadership of Gov. Edgar Chatto and organized by the Bohol Provincial Tourism Council Inc. under Atty. Lucas Nunag, the campaign seeks to position the province as a top-notch tourist destination with its amazing natural attractions and its friendly and honest people. The travel fair gathered together all major players in the Bohol tourism sector with a single-minded objective of providing a strong boost to Bohol’s tourism industry.

I've got to meet Ms. Jeanette Busano and Ms. Fiel Angelie Arao Arao - Media Affairs Officer and Information Officer respectively, officers from the city government of Tagbilaran and invited them over to be our guest at Radyo Inquirer DZIQ 990 AM last Saturday so they could promote the event as well as their city. Ms. Busano said it was the first time they would be joining such an event in Manila promoting Tagbilaran. I am happy to help out and hoping their efforts would become fruitful.

Also among the many people we met at the event was Ms. Teresita Labunog-Sumampong, who owns Cuisina Ni Tisay located at the Chocolate Hills Adventure Park. She was very eager to invite us to Bohol so she could help show us around the province to see the many fascinating sights that made Bohol one of the most visited place in the Philippines. True enough, the province belongs to the entire Filipinos as we greatly boast it to the rest of the world as one of our proudly acclaimed tourist destinations.

“For years, Bohol has always been in the hearts of every Filipino, not only as an eco-cultural tourism landmark but as a home to a number of our country’s pride. As we felt how our kababayans share our grief during the devastating catastrophe that hit our province, we now feel the surge of support as we pave the road to recovery and come back in the tourism map. With Visit Bohol 2015, expect a much better and bolder Bohol – ready to welcome all of you to our beautiful province. We invite you to visit and be awed not just by the wonderful sites Bohol has to offer, but also by the endearing graciousness, hospitality and trustworthiness of Boholanos,” says Governor Chatto during the opening ceremonies of the Bohol Travel Fair.

The launch event, which was supposed to be held last December 8 to 10, 2014, was rescheduled due to super typhoon Ruby that slammed parts of the country. Now the campaign is going full blast and ready to entice residents and tourists to visit Bohol.

Bohol is known for its awe-inspiring “Chocolate Hills,” rustic and centuries-old churches in Baclayon and Loboc, the ever-lovable “tarsier,” and of course, the never-ending smiles and hospitable culture of its people. Aside from that, Bohol boasts of having some of the best white-sand beaches in the world like those in Panglao and Anda, and is fast gaining ground as a top eco-cultural tourism spot because of its numerous mystical cave sites, serene rivers, enchanting waterfalls and mangroves, spellbinding marine sanctuaries and diving sites, and adventure-oriented attractions.

“Our dream is to make Bohol a tourism superpower and top holiday destination. With the help of our partners and other significant stakeholders from the public and private sectors, we believe this is
achievable,” adds Governor Chatto.

Other partners for “Visit Bohol 2015” include the United States Agency for International Development through its Advancing Philippine Competitiveness Project (USAID-COMPETE), the Department of Tourism (DOT), the United Nations-World Tourism Organization (UN-WTO) and the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), plus local tourism businesses, Ms. Gloria Steele, USAID Mission Director for the Philippines, and DOT Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr., who is also one of the keynote speakers, are among the many dignitaries at the event.

For the Bohol Travel Fair, Bohol also partnered with AirAsia, the leading budget airline in the region, as its exclusive airline partner. AirAsia, awarded by Skytrax, the world’s most prestigious airline and airport review and ranking site, as the world’s Best Low-Cost Carrier for six consecutive years, offers unbelievable, year-round low fares for its Manila-Tagbilaran and Manila-Cebu flights
to attract more visitors to the province.

Aside from the low seat prices, also up for grabs at the “Visit Bohol 2015” travel fair are at least 60 percent discount in accommodations, tour packages and other travel essentials, plus various indigenous Boholano products. To provide entertainment, travel fair visitors will be serenaded by the heavenly voices of the world-famous Loboc Children’s Choir, who will sing popular and classic music via a mini concert every night for the duration of the three-day event.

I'll be uploading a video coverage soon at the Wazzup Pilipinas YouTube channel, so watch out for it. For the meantime please do check out WazzupPilipinas Facebook page for more updates about many other events and announcements.

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