SENATOR Cynthia Villar said activities and travels related to agriculture and environment will be the new growth areas that would help revive the travel and tourism industry which have been adversely affected by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
“We all know that the ongoing lockdowns all over the country and the world has really hit the travel and tourism sector hard. All the industries related to it, especially hotels and airlines, are really reeling until now. Increased interest and popularity of farm tourism and eco-tourism will provide the much-needed impetus to the sector,” said Villar, chairperson of both the Senate Committees on Agriculture and Environment.
Villar added, “After being locked down for months, people are longing to get reconnected to nature. Filipinos have also turned to gardening and growing their food. They can continue to do or pursue those interests and experiences when they visit a farm or a natural tourist attraction when things go back to normal or when quarantine eases”.
She thus urges the concerned department such as the Department of Agriculture (DA) and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to work closely with the Department of Tourism (DoT), local government units (LGUs) or tourism boards and associations to put in place strategies and support mechanisms for businesses and entrepreneurs involved in farm tourism and eco-tourism.
According to travel experts, destinations in natural surroundings have become even more in demand.
Ecotourism and agritourism – where farming and nature blend with nature – will provide the much-needed boost in travel and tourism in the new normal.
Besides businesses, the biggest beneficiaries of the new travel trend will be the local communities including farmers and fisherfolks, according to Villar.
