Camarines Sur among fastest growing Philippine tourist destinations

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The province of Camarines Sur is one of the fastest growing tourist destinations in the country with tourist arrivals in the same category as those in Bohol and Palawan, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said.

Tourism Secretary Ace Durano said he expects more foreign and local tourists to visit Camarines Sur in the coming months with the opening of the newest tourist spot in Gota Beach in Caramoan, Camarines Sur.

Gota Beach, located in the Caramoan Peninsula, was recently developed by the provincial government under Governor Luis Raymund Villafuerte. Its beach and those of nearby islands like Lahuy, Bitanglaya and others, have white, powdery sand and the waters that surround them are crystal-clear.

It was the site where the French edition of the popular TV series “Survivor,” was filmed. Shooting was completed last week, to be aired soon in Europe.

Durano said being a location venue for shootings is one way of promoting Caramoan in the European and international market.

DOT’s thrust for Bicol is to promote this new tourist spot, the Camarines Sur Water Sports Complex and the butanding (whale sharks) of Donsol, according to Durano. “We have to cluster and organize these destinations in one tour package to maximize tourism in the region,” he added.

The Tourism chief was with President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and other members of the Cabinet who slept over in Gota Beach last May 5, after attending the inauguration ceremonies of Sutherland Global Services business process outsourcing (BPO) delivery center in the Camarines Sur IT Park inside the provincial capitol complex.

Camarines Sur became the prime destination for local and foreign tourists in the Bicol region starting 2006 under Governor Villafuerte’s aggressive tourism development program.

Based on DOT 2007 figures, tourist arrivals in Camarines Sur jumped by 41 percent compared to the number of visitors to the province in 2006.

Of the 456,911 tourists who visited the province last year, 411,285 were locals while 45,626 were foreigners.

The latest DOT report showed there were 897,680 tourist arrivals in the region last year, or an increase of 41 percent from 2006′s record of 637,127. Of the total number of arrivals, 792,072 were local tourists and 105,608 were foreigners.

On a year-on-year basis, 2006-2007, Camarines Sur posted a phenomenal growth rate of 77 percent in tourist arrivals.

Bicol tourism director Maria Ong Ravanilla cited the Camarines Sur Watersports Complex in Pili town as the biggest contributor to tourist arrivals

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