Well, here we are again. It’s the “ber” months once again – when Filipinos will be all-out preparing for Christmas and New Year revelries.
Filipinos, it has been said, have the longest celebration of Christmas among Christian-professing countries in the world. It starts in September and ends in January, after the Feast of the Epiphany – or, until we finally muster enough strength to put away the Christmas decorations.
This early, however, Laguna province should prepare itself for expecting the deluge of local and international tourists who may find the province an excellent holiday getaway destination.
Let’s repeat this: the best time to prepare for the tourist deluge is now.
A few weeks back, this newsmagazine reported the dismal state of tourism in our province, as well as the apparent lackluster performance of the agencies that are supposed to do their job in enhancing tourism infrastructure.
Some facts that need to be repeated: based on the Department of Tourism’s IV-A’s Quarterly Regional Economic Situationer 2023, Laguna was last among the five provinces in the region in terms of overnight and third for same-day tourists with 15,108, 520. And for tourist spots with the most arrivals, only two are from Laguna.
This year has been projected to be the year when the tourism sector, long a vital part of Laguna province’s economic mix, makes a full recovery from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
So here’s a tip for all stakeholders (national and local government officials, especially): now is the time to take advantage of tourism’s comeback and make the most out of the many wonders of the province.
#WeTakeAStand #OpinYon #OpinYonEditorial #HolidayOpportunities