VIGAN CITY, Ilocos Sur (PIA) – A passport for tourists visiting this city, one of the Seven Wonder Cities of the World, is now available.
The passport, named the Ciudad de Vigan Pasaporte de Turista, was officially launched recently at Calle Crisologo, the heritage village in the said city.
All tourists may purchase this in any of the three colors -red, blue, or green, for P300 at any of the tourism assistance booths in Calle Crisologo, at the Vigan Convention Center, and in front of the city hall.
It is also available online at www.vigancity.gov.ph.
Tourists who will avail of this will be asked to provide their personal information which will be printed on the passport.
Once registered, the tourists can get special stamps on their passport whenever they avail of services and products of retail stores, restaurants, hotels, and other partner tourism outlets.
These stamps or collected points may then be used to avail of perks such as discounts, rewards, and freebies.
Every P100 purchase at the souvenir shops or restaurants is equivalent to one point, so as P500 in hotels.
The city mayor, Jose “Bonito” Singson, Jr. led the launching of the passport together with Department of Tourism Ilocos regional director Joseph Francisco Ortega, the city council, and other guests.
In his message during the launching, the mayor said the initiative aims for tourists to have a more enjoyable visit and more exciting experience because the Pasaporte de Turista is not only a tourist brochure but a dynamic booklet.
“We will keep updating what is new to see, what is new to taste in the city. We will be able to utilize this to a certain extent as a marketing highway for not only Vigan products, services, and Vigan as a whole, but the entire north and the Philippines,” he said.
He added, “It will benefit Bigueños from the higher market to the poor and obscure, hopefully we will be able to improve the standard of living here in Vigan with this project.”
Moreover, the passport includes a QR code which allows tourists to check various activities, schedules of the city accommodations, tourist spots and other destinations in the city.
It also features a brief history of the city, fun facts about Vigan, and iconic figures who helped shape the city’s storied past. (JCR/MJTAB/ATV, PIA Ilocos Sur)
