The City Government of Kidapawan, through its City Tourism and Promotions Office, organized the “Mount Apo Natural Park-Buffer Zone Experiential Tour” for travel operators from Region 10. Held from August 15-18, 2024, the tour coincided with the city’s Timpupo Festival. This experiential tour aimed to attract tourists outside the Soccsksargen region by showcasing the city’s top tourism sites.
The tour operators visited Kidapawan tourism sites such as the Mount Apo Natural Park and geothermal plant in Barangay Ilomavis, Museyo Kutawato in Barangay Amas, and various farm tourism sites, including Cresenta Integrated Farm in Barangay Indangan, Dr. Alfred’s Farm on Quezon Boulevard, Camp Cesaria in Barangay Ilomavis, and Abubakar Farm Mountain Resort in Barangay Nuangan.
“It’s about time to expand our marketing and promotion efforts for the city. Aside from the Mt. Apo Natural Park via the Mandangan trail, we also have farm tourism sites ready to welcome tourists from outside the region,” said Kidapawan City Tourism and Promotions Office head Gillan Ray T. Lonzaga.
The tourism office is enhancing its efforts to market the city not only within the region but also beyond, encouraging an increase in inbound tourism.
The Department of Tourism (DOT) Region 12 supported this initiative. DOT 12 Regional Director Nelia Arina and her team attended the tour activity to personally meet the delegation and the members of the Kidapawan Travel Agencies Association (KTAA), who partnered in this event. RD Arina experienced firsthand what these tourism sites offer to potential tourists.
“We are intensifying our campaign for Mindanao tourism. We sustainably promote our destinations to other regions in the Philippines. We encourage inbound business to support our Kidapawan tour operators,” said RD Arina.
DOT 12 is also planning to organize a tour operators’ summit, aiming to boost inbound tourism in the Soccsksargen region. Boosting inbound tourism is one of the first steps toward attracting international flights to the area, aligning with the long-term vision of DOT 12.
Aside from the experiential tour, the Kidapawan Tourism Office also conducted Business-to-Business (B2B) matching between tour operators from Region 10 and members of the KTAA.
“The experiential tour is not only for entertainment or leisure but also for economic activity. This will help create livelihood opportunities for our locals in Kidapawan City,” said KTAA President Jennie R. Cabrera.
“It is important for travel operators to know what we are going to showcase so they can explain what clients can expect during their tour. Being knowledgeable about the area and having experienced it personally is crucial for creating a curated itinerary for our clients,” said Engr. Jermaysa “Mice” Tin, owner of Earth Explorers Travel and Tours based in Cagayan de Oro City.
“For the local tourism industry, this is vital because not everyone knows what is being offered. Showcasing it to tour operators will help them promote it effectively,” she added.
Region 10 (Northern Mindanao) is composed of two highly urbanized cities—Cagayan de Oro City and Iligan City; and five provinces: Camiguin, Misamis Oriental, Lanao del Norte, Bukidnon, and Misamis Occidental.
Dubbed the “city of fruits and highland springs,” Kidapawan aims to be known for having the nearest Mt. Apo trail, with guides and porters who are DOT-accredited and well-trained according to industry standards. The city also offers nature immersion, highlighting ATI and DOT-accredited farm sites that tourists can enjoy.
Lonzaga also emphasized the strong collaboration between the city government and the private sector in developing tourism in Kidapawan. The experiential tour is one of their joint efforts to boost the local tourism industry.
The tourism office is monitoring the results of this activity. If it proves successful, they plan to organize another batch of experiential tours.
The city government is also eyeing the BARMM region as its next major market, emphasizing the importance of the growing “halal tourism.”
Kidapawan serves as a strategic passing point for BARMM residents, making it an ideal location to attract Muslim tourists. The tourism office encourages local “Muslim-friendly establishments” to enhance their facilities and services to meet this growing demand.
Additionally, the tourism office facilitates DOT accreditation for local tourism-related establishments in the city. This is part of their support for the local tourism industry.
Lonzaga expressed gratitude to the public for their warm response to this year’s Timpupo Festival. The highly anticipated annual fruit festival attracted not only Kidapaweños but also tourists from outside the city who came to witness the festivities, especially the “Fruit Eat-All-You-Can sa Dalan.”
The “Kasadya sa Timpupo 2024” ran from August 10-18, 2024.
“Tourism is everybody’s business. A single person coming here greatly helps our community,” said Lonzaga.
###
0 Comments