Tourism Dept to identify alternate tour routes in quake-hit Bohol, Cebu

The Department of Tourism (DoT) plans to come up with alternative tour routes in earthquake-hit Bohol and Cebu in its attempt to restore the once-booming tourism industry there.

 

DoT said it would meet with industry bigwigs to "come up with a contingency plan to regain market confidence and a plan to offer alternative tour programs within Cebu/Bohol," it said in a statement. 

 

Restoring the damaged heritage sites and other places of attraction would take time, Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr. said in the statement.

 

Some of Bohol and Cebu's famed centuries-old churches have crumbled or been damaged, while Bohol's famed Chocolate Hills have eroded. 

 

"(R)econstruction of damaged facilities in other attractions and transportation infrastructure should proceed with haste," he said.

 

The DoT Region 7 reported that most hotels, resorts and other businesses resumed operations in Cebu and the Panglao island in Bohol, while the rest are still assessing their buildings' integrity, the statement read. 

 

The worst-hit areas are still off-limits to tourists, it added.

 

The DoT's attached agency Tourism Infrastructure Enterprise Zone Authority would help in the renovation of the viewing deck of the Chocolate Hills, among other areas, Jimenez said.

 

Meanwhile, Jimenez said they would include the repair of roads and bridges in their convergence program with the Public Works and Highways that aims to boost tourism through infrastructures.

 

"We ought to find ways to speed up recovery of the affected areas, especially that tourism is a major industry fueling their economies," Jimenez said.
 

A 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit Bohol Monday morning, shaking nearby provinces like Cebu and Siquijor, and killing 158 as of noon Thursday. 

 

Survivors have felt aftershocks that reached an intensity 5.5, according to authorities. —Marc Jayson Cayabyab/KG, GMA News