BACOLOD City – The Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) urged investors to develop tourism enterprise zones (TEZs) in Negros Occidental.
According to TEZ regulation department manager Nino Aquino, there is only one TEZ pending application in the province.
The application is that of a resort-type leisure tourism enterprise developer in Silay City, Aquino added.
He stressed that Negros Occidental is a good tourism investment area because it has vast lands potential for real estate developments.
Aquino called on both the local government and private sectors to maximize this potential.
Some sugarcane plantation owners have already considered developing their farms for tourism, said Aquino, adding hat “with some problems hounding the sugar industry right now, TEZs will be a good alternative.”
The TEZs are categorized into two – private and public or flagship zones.
TIEZA checks the feasibility and sustainability of private TEZs, areas with private individual owners.
For public or flagship TEZs, on the other hand, the TIEZA comes up with the master development plan of areas, which are identified through an inventory of the Department of Tourism and the local government units. (With a report from PNA/PN)
