MORE than a year since she announced plans to help open Mindanao for leisure travel, Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said she believes the region is now ready to welcome more tourists from across the globe.
The Philippines has been promoting tourism-ready areas in Mindanao in a strategic approach, in close coordination with relevant security offices throughout the process, Frasco said.
“Mindanao is ready for tourism, Mindanao is ready to welcome the world to its beautiful lands, its wonderful shores, and to share the bounty that is so abundant here,” she said.
Earlier, Frasco welcomed the United States’ decision to downgrade its travel alert in four key Mindanao destinations, seeing it as a positive development that will attract more foreign tourists to the stigma-ridden region.
“We’re very grateful to our friends from the government of the US for having downgraded certain areas in Mindanao,” Frasco said.
“We feel that this will also encourage our tourists from all over the world to come and visit and to see that Mindanao is safe and Mindanao is a wonderful place for any type of traveler,” she added.
The State Department last week updated its travel advisory for the Philippines to reflect the rescinding of the “state of national emergency in Mindanao.”
From alert level 3 (reconsider travel), it eased its warning for travel in Davao City, Davao del Norte, Siargao Island, and the Dinagat Islands to 2 or “exercise increased caution.” (PNA)
