When I tried compiling the details of the different festivals in the Bicol Region, I was shocked to note that there are overlapping schedules. Albay’s Magayon Festival, CamSur’s Kaogma Festival, and Catanduanes’ Abaca Festival are all happening in May. Add the town and barangay fiestas on said month. This has positive and negative implications.
The overlap in festival schedules in the Bicol Region can have both positive and negative implications for tourists and the tourism industry in the region.
On the positive side, the overlapping schedules could provide a variety of options. Tourists who are visiting the region can take advantage of multiple festivals and enjoy a variety of cultural experiences. It can also increase tourism by attracting more visitors thereby generating more tourism revenue for the region. Lastly, tourists will also be treated with cultural immersion. With a range of cultural festivals happening at the same time, tourists can immerse into the local culture and traditions.
On the negative side, however, overlapping schedules of festivals may put a strain on the already limited resources of the region such as accommodations, transportation, and food. Second, the festivals will also distract audience. Tourists may have a hard time choosing which festival they want to attend which may lead to a distracted audience, and may prevent them from fully participating in all the festivals. Lastly, overlapping schedules may lessen the uniqueness of each festival as visitors may attend the same sets of activities in different locations.
Given these, and to maximize the positive implications as well as minimize the negative implications of overlapping schedules of festivals, the tourism industry players spearheaded by the regional Department of Tourism, should focus on proper tourism planning, marketing, and coordination between different festival organizers. By working together towards the same goal, they can make sure that the festivals meet the interest of the visitors and they can provide an unforgettable experience.
Tourism is often considered a “magic bullet” for local economic development because it has the potential to generate significant revenue and create employment opportunities in a relatively short period of time. But do we have the appropriate gun to use the magic bullet?
The impact of tourism is undeniable. It is instrumental to the creation of jobs across various sectors such as hospitality, transportation, retail, and tourism promotion. In 2019, the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), for instance, noted that the Philippine tourism industry led to the creation of 9.5 million jobs in 2019. This declined to 6.49 million because of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns but eventually gained traction due to the easing of health protocols. In 2021, the total contribution of travel and tourism to employment is 7.82 million.
The tourism industry is also a major contributor to the gross domestic product (GDP) which was noted to be…
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