BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL G. BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – The provincial government of Negros Occidental expects an increase in tourist traffic this year as cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) drop nationwide and travel restrictions are gradually being lifted.
Negros Occidental governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said he is happy to see that stakeholders in the local tourism industry (private sector and local government units) are themselves bullish and are holding regular meetings and preparing for the tourism rebound.
On Wednesday during the 2nd Quarter Tourism Officers Meeting that the city government of Bacolod also attended, Lacson admitted that the bulk of tourist arrivals both local and foreign landing at the airport in Silay City, Negros Occidental are Bacolod City-bound.
Lacson thus stressed the importance of coordination between the city and provincial governments in the area of tourism.
“In 2021, there was already an increase in tourist arrivals from 2020’s figures. So this year we are expecting better,” Lacson said.
The provincial government, he pointed out, already made it easier for travelers to enter Negros Occidental.
The S-PaSS requirement has been lifted. Travelers only need to present their COVID-19 vaccination card.
S–PaSS is a travel management system developed by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) for contact tracing. Among the requirements indicated in the S-Pass include vaccination card or certificate, government issued identification cards, and confirmation of accommodation at the point of destination./PN
