DOT, TIEZA to develop potential tourism sites in Palawan

• Source: http://palawan-news.com/dot-tieza-develop-potential-tourism-sites-palawan/
• Wednesday, May 17, 2017

By Kia Johanna Lamo

To develop potential tourist destination areas around the region, the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Authority (TIEZA) held a Tourism Enterprise Zone Forum yesterday, May 15, in Puerto Princesa City.

Tying up with the Provincial Tourism Office, along with Tourism-MIMAROPA, local government units and tourism stakeholders in Palawan, the forum envisions to ramp up the province’s local tourism industry and continue promoting it as the ‘World’s Best Island’.

TIEZA is the national government’s arm for ensuring sustainability of investments in the tourism industry. Among its tasks is to identify potential tourism sites that need infrastructure augmentation and development. For Palawan, the agency particularly sees more improvement in infrastructure in entry ports to further increase tourist arrival.

TIEZA also aims to create a ‘one-stop shop’ for investors interested in the province, mainly by expediting the process on getting license, permits, master plan support and financial stability.

According to Atty. Niño Ruperto Aquino, attracting more investments spell additional income to the province’s tourism industry and, consequently, employment to Palaweños.

TIEZA has chosen the town of San Vicente up north as their ‘pilot tourism enterprise’ in the province. Aquino said they will identify more enterprise zones in Palawan and in MIMAROPA in the coming months or years.

Palawan is among the top destinations of local and foreign tourists in the Philippines. In 2016, the province accounted for about US $4.9M-worth of visitor receipts. Tourism is also among the main industries in the province, contributing around 8.2% of its GDP and is growing up to 14.4% in the past five years.