Happy New Year! Hoping for a clearer vision of peace, happiness, and prosperity in 2020.
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The Alliance of Travel Tourism and Hospitality MICE (meetings, incentive travel, conventions, and exhibitions) Movers (ATTHoMM), where I serve as founding chairman, will begin the new year by providing donations to Holy Infant Nursery Foundation Inc., a Bacolod City orphanage. The organization will also work on encouraging Negros Occidental to place a focus on sanitation and hygiene with the “Clean Toilet Western Visayas” initiative, an idea introduced in a November 2017 column as “Clean Toilet Pilipinas.” The group hopes to have Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson as a partner as the “Clean Toilet” movement would be the best start in making the province a tourist destination. Visitors have expressed heir dismay after observing dirty toilets, which are a major turn-off.
The effort will unite ATTHoMM, the provincial government, and Department of Tourism-Region VI (DOT-6). In addition, DOT-Region VI director, Atty. Helen J. Catalbas has similarly witnessed the said concerns surrounding toilets.
Aside from myself, ATTHoMM was founded by Raymund Javellana, Elsie Gonzaga, Jo-ann Yoshiday, Anna Liza Lacson, Mini Javellana-Jimenez, JB Ongsingco, and Marlon Navarro.
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Bacolod City hotel standards are expected to be emphasized. Local hoteliers should look at tourism effort as a “cohesive decision.” The private sector must bond as one strong industry.
A visitor shared with me their anger after experiencing an unusual practice by one of the big hotels in the city. Despite booking a twin bed room for two guests, their “complimentary breakfast” was only for one person. That would mean one party would need to pay if they were to enjoy breakfast together. They went on to tell me they would never try out the “Bacolod experience” again.
They added, “Clearly, Bacolod City is not ready to be a true tourist destination.”
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This column greets a Happy New Year to Marlon Navarro, Jennylind Cordero, Tony Agustin, Dodong Bascon, Rabby Nuevo, Armand Angeles, JB Mapa, Francis Velez, Sandra Sycip, Harold Geronimo, Jennifer Fong, Felipe Lacson, Yves Javellana, Richard Oquendo, and Gemma Baz./WDJ