Melo Villareal
Team Out of Town Blog Hub (Outoftownblog.com) – South Cotabato is next in this year’s round-up of the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Philippines’ marketing assistance to the Sustainable Community-Based Tourism (SCBT) destinations program.
Slated from 17 to 19 November 2022, the SCBT Marketing Enhancement Workshops organized by the TPB aim to empower communities to preserve their cultural heritage, crafts, and traditions, as well as improve the community’s skills in terms of digital marketing, product branding, and sustainable packaging.
“We do capacity-building activities at a grassroots level like this because we want to empower all tourism stakeholders, especially our small to medium-scale enterprises to give them more leverage in the market,” said TPB Chief Operating Officer Maria Margarita Montemayor Nograles.
“As we take the lead in tourism promotions, we want to spread our influence and imbue the spirit of destination stewardship so we can collectively work towards generating livelihood, spurring local employment, and improving the socio-economic well-being of our SCBT members,” she added.
South Cotabato’s Lake Sebu and its surroundings are being promoted as one of the prime ecotourism destinations in Southern Philippines. Some of the event activities planned include the visit to the 100 T’nalak Gallery Collection and Lang Dulay Weaving Center where the spotlight will be on the T’nalak Dreamweaver’s Habi showcase; the Lake Sebu tours featuring the ancestral dwelling of the indigenous T’boli tribe; and the Organikian Urban Farm, the first urban farm certified in Region 12 known for its organically and hydroponically grown vegetables.
Apart from the marketing workshop, TPB is also providing a pledge of assistance with the distribution of starter kits for identified weaving communities of South Cotabato.
Additionally, TPB has invited media practitioners to cover the event to maximize mileage for the community as potential tourism sites and attractions can provide travelers with unique community experiences.
According to the latest news from the South Cotabato local government, Lake Sebu tops the list of the most visited tourist destinations, with almost 700,000 tourist arrivals from January to September this year.
TPB’s marketing assistance to the SCBT destinations program previously covered Camarines Sur, Samar, the Cordilleras, Quezon Province, Capiz, and Negros Occidental earlier this year.
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