Farm dep’t, DoT to push for agri-tourism

THE AGRICULTURE department plans to partner with the Tourism department to come up with a program that will help farmers take advantage of opportunities in agri-tourism and increase their incomes, an official said yesterday.

Leandro H. Gazmin, director of the Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service of the Agriculture department said in a press conference yesterday that the department is planning to collaborate with the Tourism department.

“We do not have a strong collaboration with the DoT (Department of Tourism) right now, but we are planning to work with them for a program to promote agri-tourism,” he said. With the Philippines being an agricultural country, he said that getting into the agri-tourism business, which would involve bringing in visitors to the farm or ranch, will allow farmers to increase their incomes.

He said though that the department has no estimate on the number of potential visitors to farms yet since it is the first time that it is engaging in promoting agri-tourism.

“We are an agricultural country. If we cannot draw foreign tourists, we can encourage local tourists to go to the countryside to see where vegetables come from and how they are produced,” he said.

Fe Baling Yu, vice-president of the Philippine Travel Agencies Association said at the same event that tourist arrivals in the country could rise if there would be more promotion of agri-tourism.

“Given proper marketing by having a tie-up with leisure activities, it (tourist arrivals) may go up by 20% to 30% in one to two years,” she said.

Latest available data from the DoT showed that foreign tourist arrivals reached 1.31 million in the four months to April, 13.33% higher than in the same period a year ago.

Agri-tourism, Ms. Yu also said presents opportunities for travel agencies for it would allow them to offer tour packages that would involve taking visitors to farms and other leisure activities.

“We can have a balanced package where we could bring them to farms in Bukidnon and then, also allow them to experience white water rafting,” she said.

For his part, Kenneth G. Dong, president of A-Linx Events International, Inc., organizing the First Agriculture and Tourism Expo with the Agriculture and Tourism departments, said that he is pushing for agri-tourism as this would allow it to attract more investors and tourists and generate more jobs as tourists seek new attractions and activities.

He said that those living in areas which do not have mango farms and the like are interested in agri-tourism and could be a potential market.

“People from countries like China, Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan are interested,” he said.

The First Agriculture and Tourism Expo will be held from June 30 to July 2 at the World Trade Center in Pasay City. –LOUELLA D. DESIDERIO, Reporter, Businessworld