After
the successful promotion of Davao City’s Kadayawan
Festival in the international tourism market a year ago,
the Department of Tourism (DOT) now plans to tap South Cotabato’s
T’nalak Festival as the country’s banner attraction
for its global tourism campaign next year.
Tourism
Secretary Joseph Ace Durano, who personally experienced
the “authentic taste? of the province’s 8th
T’nalak Festival during a visit to the province, said
the festivities, the province’s ecotourism resources
and modern leisure facilities have the potentials to become
top tourism attractions, if given the proper marketing and
promotions.
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Tinalak
Festival |
“It’s
about time to take South Cotabato to the international tourism
market and next year, I want to showcase your T’nalak
Festival to the rest of the world,? he said in his speech
during the culmination program of the T’nalak Festival,
which coincided with the province’s 41st Foundation
Anniversary celebration.
Durano
said he wants to replicate the DOT’s successful promotion
and marketing campaign for Davao’s Kadayawan Festival
last year to South Cotabato and its T’nalak Festival.
As
a result of their marketing efforts for Kadayawan, he said
Davao City is now among the top fastest growing tourist
destinations in the country along with Bohol and Boracay
Island in Aklan. He said Davao City is currently among the
top contributors in terms of foreign tourist arrivals, which
the DOT is projecting to reach at least three million by
yearend.
Since
March, Durano said at least 500 tourists from China and
South Korea have been arriving every week at the Davao City
International Airport through the three direct flights every
week to Korea and Hong Kong to do some shopping, golfing
and playing in its casino.
In
South Cotabato, Durano said tourists may be interested with
the festivities, trekking at Mount Matutum, nature-tripping
in Lake Sebu and golfing at Kalsangi in Polomolok town.
He said another attraction could be a showcase of the rich
cultural heritage of the T’boli tribe and its popular
traditional woven cloth made of abaca locally known as T’nalak.
“These
are the things that foreign tourists look for. We will just
need to give them a good exposure in international tourism,?
he said. Durano, who expressed awe with T’nalak’s
Madal Be’lan and Kadsagayan A Lalan street dancing
showdown, said they would bring the winning contingents
to festivals abroad that the DOT will be joining next year.
He
said the DOT will shoulder all the travel expenses and accommodations
of all the members of the street dancing contingents that
they will be bringing to various international campaigns.
“I’m
only asking you, people of South Cotabato, to send through
these street dancers the spirit and soul of South Cotabato,
he said. Durano added that all he will make sure that all
these tourism efforts would further bring the needed development
to the countryside and for the people to eventually benefit
from them. (Ninfa V. Estabillo)
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