Proposed ordinance seeks reports from tourism firms

CEBU, Philippines – A proposed ordinance requiring tourism establishments in Talisay City to submit regular monthly reports on visitor or tourist statistics has been approved on first reading.

City Councilor Doroteo Emit, chairman of the council's Committee on Tourism and Heritage, said the measure mainly requires local tourism establishments to regularly monitor and report all data on tourist statistics to the tourism division of the City Economic Management and Cooperative Development Office.

The move shall cover all government and private tourism-related establishments within the city.

"The Department of Tourism  found out that the City of Talisay was lacking of reports and has not been providing the needed data for some time now. The needed data for the subject reports can only be sourced from tourism enterprises, such as but not limited to hotels, pension houses, resorts, etc.," Emit said.

If the ordinance will be approved, it shall be known as the "Talisay City Tourism Enterprises Statistical Data Reporting Ordinance."

It shall cover all tourism accommodation establishments such as beaches, mountain resorts as well as theme and leisure parks.

It shall also include government and private establishments catering to day tourists such as museums, convention centers, sports centers, recreational centers and facilities and travel agency operators.

"The purpose of this ordinance is to compel the establishments to provide and make available the statistical data required by the DOT for purposes aforementioned in the premises, thereby ensuring that the city can also comply with DOT's reportorial requirements," he added.

For the objective of this ordinance to be satisfied and in compliance with the national laws, the city tourism officer or whoever is designated or appointed by the local chief executive, shall implement the following major activities as strategies: data solicitation, physical/actual survey, data collection and collation, focus group discussion and/or meetings, information, education and communications, strategic planning and trainings and workshops.

"Other programs may be created and added as a strategy should the Tourism Council and the Sangguniang Panlungsod Committee on Tourism and Heritage would deem it necessary after a deliberation. However, the said addition shall be proposed in a resolution by the City's Tourism and Heritage Council and the same shall then be endorsed to the Sangguniang Panlungsod for adoption and/or ratification," Emit said.