Naga tourism groups ready for 4 big events in Dec ‘21
By Jason B. Neola
Four significant tourism-related activities –two national and two regional events – which are seen to rev up the business industry in Bicol region are going to be launched in the city on Dec. 3-5, this year.
Daniel A. De Leon, chairman of the Bicol Regional Tourism Council (BRTC), said the events, which are expected to open opportunities for networking and business matching among entrepreneurs, will jumpstart the operations of various local businesses from inactivity brought about by Covid-19 pandemic.
De Leon, who is also the president of Tourism-Oriented Private Stakeholders (TOPS), said that among the most affected sector in the tourism industry that need support to be able to go through again are hotels, restaurants, resorts, tour organizing, and travel agencies.
The commercial establishments at Central Business District I and II that suffered a decline in their operations due to Covid-19 restrictions when the city was placed under the enhanced community quarantine status. JBN/VIC VILLAFLOR/CEPPIO
He said the four events: the National Travel Show and Expo; 17th Bicol Regional Tourism Congress; General Membership and Business Meeting; and TOPS Summit, will be a gathering of more or less a hundred organizers of tourism-related events who can fittingly be called “ambassadors of goodwill” because of their advocacy to make the region’s socio-economy stronger by way of a vibrant local tourism industry.
Invited to grace the occasion in the evening of Dec. 4 is Naga City Mayor Nelson Legacion, who will be with the guests at the Mayor’s Gala Night in Villa Caceres Hotel, while Camarines Sur Governor Juan Miguel Villafuerte will take part in giving tribute to the events’ key players at the Governor’s Night on Dec. 3 in Camarines Sur Watersports Complex.
The National Travel Show and Expo will be participated in by local, national and international exhibitors, sellers, and buyers, which is going to be held at the Robinsons Place on Dec. 4. The event, which is organized by the National Association of Independent Travel Agencies (NAITAS), will also be done virtually or in livestream via NAITAS Facebook page.
The 17th Bicol Regional Tourism Congress on Dec. 3 will be conducted at the Robinsons Place with tourism champions, advocates, and members of BRTC from the academe industry and government. To be hosted by the Department of Tourism in Bicol, the event highlights the best of Bicol destination that will also be showcased in virtual presentation.
The General Membership and Business Meeting (GMBM) of NAITAS will be held on Dec. 3. “The event will mobilize less than a hundred officers and members of the association from different chapters across the country,” said De Leon, a member of NAITAS Board of Trustees.
The TOPS Summit on Dec. 5 will be conducted at the Robinsons Place that will be participated in by all DOT-accredited establishments in the region.