Subic eyes big share of 5 million tourists this year

OLONGAPO CITY — The Department of Tourism (DOT) and local tourism establishments here are confident that the Subic Bay area will get a big share of the five million tourists expected to arrive in country this year following concerted efforts to promote Subic as a tourist haven.

Tourism Undersecretary Oscar Palabyab, who graced the launching of the three-day Subik Travel Exchange and the "Subik! Subik! Festival" here, said efforts by tourism businesses and stakeholders from Bataan, Zambales, the Subic Bay Freeport and this city would improve the record of tourist arrivals in the Subic Bay area.

"Because of the concerted programs to promote and further develop the facilities into more competitive tourist destinations in the country, we are confident that the Greater Subic Bay area will corner a big share of the five million tourists that we expect," Palabyab said.

The tourism official issued the statement as the Subik! Subik! Festival held here provided a glimpse of what visitors to the Subic Bay area would get this summer — a merry mix of fun, adventure and excitement right in the comfort of a natural paradise with world-class facilities.

The event, organized by the Greater Subic Bay Tourism Bureau (GSBTB), featured a myriad of attractions that included adventure and ecotourism activities like a hike to Mt. Pinatubo, rave parties at the Subic Boardwalk, tourism convention and exhibition, and the "Subik! So Big" grand parade participated in by tourism establishments in the Subic Bay Freeport, Olongapo City, Bataan and Zambales.

The festival introduced tourists to the best destinations in the Subic Bay area, including those in the province of Bataan, which has unspoiled coastlines for swimming and water sports, camping and adventure trekking; Zambales, which has beaches for surfing and adventure hike to Mt. Pinatubo, which combines rock climbing, rappelling and trekking.

The tourism promotion project also highlighted Olongapo City as an entertainment and convention venue, as well as Subic Bay Freeport, which has shopping centers, racetracks, golf and tennis facilities, and offers eco-tourism activities like jungle survival training, single track biking, horseriding, boat sailing and wreck diving.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Administrator and Chief Operating Officer Armand Arreza told The STAR that the tourism industry in the Subic Bay area "has the capacity to surpass other places in the country in terms of tourist attractions, activities and facilities."

Arreza, who once served as tourism undersecretary, lauded the cooperation of local government units and the private sector and said these efforts "could place the Subic Bay area in the brochures and travel packages of the tour agencies in the country."