Bohol tourism on road to recovery

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol — Bohol’s efforts to get its tourism back on track is starting to pay off as the Department. of Tourism (DOT) Region 7 office reported that most tourism establishments have also resumed operations.

DOT 7 announced that roads leading to most of the tourist attractions are now passable with roads from Tagbilaran City to Carmen via Corella already open to light vehicles (cars and vans).
Owners of establishments are meanwhile deliberating on measures on how to implement the swift turnaround of their businesses.
Last Oct. 24, one of Bohol’s tourist attractions, the Loboc River Cruise reopened and the DOT 7 reported that there was an unexpected turnout of walk-in visitors outnumbering those invited.
Other attractions that have also reopened included the Tarsier Habitat and the Chocolate Hills Adventure Park, the DOT 7 said.
Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez, Jr. said in a statement the “resilience and optimism” of the Boholanos clearly explained why their provincial tourism is a success.
“In no time, we shall see Bohol’s tourism industry fully revived and continuing its vital economic contribution to the region and entire country,” Jimenez said.
He also noted that Bohol needed its tourism income to move forward from the damage brought by the quake by determining the right programs for rehabilitation.
Jimenez added that aside from the government and private sector collaboration, Bohol also received assistance coming from external international donor agencies such as the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the UNWTO (UN World Tourism Organization)