South Cotabato Eyes Opening of New Tourist Attractions

General Santos City (PNA) — The provincial government of South Cotabato is pushing for the opening of more tourist attractions this year as it moves to establish the area as a top tourist destination in Mindanao.

South Cotabato Gov. Daisy Avance-Fuentes said such move is part of their strategies to attract more tourists or visitors to the province, which posted an all-time-high of 462,897 in total arrivals last year.

She said studies are currently underway for new tourist attractions that could be developed in parts of the province’s 10 towns and lone city.

The local government recently signed a memorandum of agreement with the Department of Tourism in Region 12 to facilitate the crafting of tourism master plans and other related strategies for seven municipalities in the area, she said.

She said the initiative specifically involve the municipalities of Surallah, Tampakan, Tantangan, Banga, Polomolok, Tupi and Lake Sebu.

“These plans will specifically determine the potential tourism sites or destinations at set their development strategies,” the governor said.

Aside from the crafting of the tourism plans, the governor said they will also develop a site master plan for a proposed ecological park (eco-park) within the famed seven waterfalls of Lake Sebu town.

The local government is currently finalizing plans for the development of a canopy walk and the installation of cable cars along the seven waterfalls as well as the opening of the lakeshore boulevard in Lake Sebu.

It is also working on the operationalization of the Lake Lahit tourism complex in Lake Sebu town.

Fuentes said they are looking the viability of establishing a fruit park in Tupi town and the opening of the biodiversity corridor in Tampakan and Tupi towns to tourists.

The governor said they are hoping to sustain this year the gains accomplished by the province’s tourism industry, especially in terms of arrivals.

Of the 462,897 total tourist arrivals in the province last year, 459,054 were domestic and 3,843 were foreign visitors.

The Provincial Tourism Office said last year’s recorded arrivals was the province’s highest since 2009.

The province posted tourist arrivals of 168,789 in 2013, 176,035 in 2012, 224,491 in 2011, 139,645 in 2010 and 113,443 in 2009. (PNA) LAM/AVE