CAMIGUIN (PIA)-- With the goal of welcoming half a million visitors in 2024, Governor Xavier Jesus Romualdo announced the adoption of a tourism strategy that the province will undertake to realize its target.
"We will do this by building on the ‘Isle Be There’ brand and launching an extensive promotion campaign involving participation in national and international travel trade shows, the conduct of tourism familiarization trips and product updates, and the installation of Camiguin billboards in airports and other strategic places around the country,” Romualdo said during his State of the Province Address on January 6.
In order to beat last year's record of 246,238 tourist arrivals, he added that they are also aiming to work with influencers to promote Camiguin and plan more festivals and tourist-drawing events in the province.
Emphasizing the crucial role of data-driven decision-making, Romualdo highlighted the impact of Camiguin's QR system, saying this system provides precise visitor accounts and demographic data, enabling effective tourism marketing and development strategies. Initially developed for contact tracing during the pandemic, the QR system has proven indispensable in shaping the province's tourism initiatives.
Romualdo announced the official launch of the Isle Visit Camiguin System, replacing the Clean Camiguin QR system. With a focus on data privacy and security, the Isle Visit Camiguin System offers real-time analytics, relevant updates, and information on sites and attractions. It also facilitates e-commerce transactions, including entry ticket purchases, and has plans for future expansion into services such as ferry transportation and restaurant reservations. This can be accessed at https://islevisitcamiguin.com/.
The governor also introduced the concept of "smart tourism," utilizing information and communication technology (ICT) tools to enhance access to accommodations, tourism services, sites, and attractions. This approach aims to provide tourists with a personalized, efficient, and unique experience while offering real-time data analytics for better planning and execution of tourism strategies.
As Camiguin sets its sights on half a million visitors in 2024, Romualdo said that with the Isle Visit Camiguin System, "We will set ourselves apart from other destinations in the country and attain our goal of being one of the top-of-mind places to visit in the Philippines." (RTP/PIA-10/Camiguin)
