LEGAZPI CITY, Sept. 8 (PNA) – Twenty foreign tourists from Russia, China, Malaysia, Australia and Taiwan joined the tree planting activity of this city on Friday, Mayor Noel E. Rosal disclosed Monday.
The activity was conducted at the new investment zone in the urban village of Puro where the longest boulevard outside Metro Manila is located.
“The presence and participation of these foreign tourists is a big boost to our City’s Tourism Promotion Program and will certainly contribute to the continuous increase of tourist arrivals in our locality,” Rosal said.
“Pandakaki” seedlings were planted by the foreign visitors at the center of the sidewalk of the boulevard, which are expected to serve as decorative trees in front of the city’s sea water near the Obelisk Tower of the Mason International Fraternity.
Rosal said, “we are very fortunate that our city was one of the selected localities by the Philippine Travel Exchange (PhilTEx) for the business tour of foreign travelers as, he said, this foreign visitation activity is a clear manifestation of Legazpi as one of the country’s favorite tourist destinations.”
The tree-planting event is part of the greening activity of the city administration and continuous beautification of the city boulevard in preparation for the operation of the Southern Luzon International Airport (SLIA).
“Certainly, when this airport becomes operational in early 2016, our city will become the gateway of Bicol and all kinds of tourist personalities will spend their vacation time here, first in Legazpi before they go to the other places of the region,” the city chief executive pointed out.
Sherdoll Bayona of the Tourism Promotion Board (TPB), an attached agency of the Department of Tourism (DOT), said these foreign travelers are all legitimate members of (PhilTEx) and their team was divided into seven groups that also visited Boracay, Laoag, Puerto Princesa, Cebu and Bohol.
The Bicol leg includes the Bicol Express Tour in the cities of Legazpi and Sorsogon.
Bayona disclosed that her office has assisted the tour of these foreign travelers to give them a first-hand experience as part of their familiarization study in different tourist destinations in the Bicolandia.
She said they called them foreign buyers and their job is to bring here in the Philippines a big group of tourists from different parts of the world.
Most of them are tour operators who recently conducted a city tour in Manila and business talks with the local sellers there, which include hotel owners and other local tour operators, Bayona added.
On Saturday, they had a whole-day tour at the majestic Mount Mayon, all-terrain vehicle (ATV) ride at the foot of the volcano, adventure at the Lignon Hill View Deck and other idyllic tourist destinations in this city and a visit to the whale sharks in Donsol, Sorsogon. (PNA)