Tourist arrivals up by 54%
LINGAYEN—Tourist arrivals in the province have shot up by 54% increase, from 205,093 in 2008 to 316,850 last year.
Governor Amado Espino Jr., in his 3rd State of the Province Address delivered last week, said the Capitol in Lingayen alone has been steadily receiving an increasing number of visitors from an average of 76 new visitors a day in 2008 to 205 visitors a day in 2009.
He added that the Provincial Capitol Complex, including the newly-renovated Narciso Ramos Sports and Cultural Center (NRSCC) and the government-owned Capitol Resort Hotel, is becoming a popular venue for conventions and other events.
The provincial government spent P238.74 million for the construction and upgrading of buildings and facilities within the Capitol complex, including the NRSCC, the Sison Auditorium and the Capitol Resort Hotel.
The newly refurbished Sison Auditorium will also be reopening soon as a major cultural center in the region.
“This facility which embodies the culture and the historic past of our province will soon pave the way for the provincial government to spearhead an aggressive effort to revive, promote and preserve genuine Pangasinan theatre arts and culture,” the governor said.
Other provincial facilities such as the provincial mangrove information center and marine farm in Arnedo, Bolinao have also helped enhance the tourist attraction of the province.
Espino also cited that the program to develop and market Pangasinan products received a big boost with the opening last year of the Pangasinan Pasalubong Center in Carmen, Rosales and the Pangasinan Products Display at the Provincial Tourism Office.
The Espino administration also purchased six tourist buses for shuttling visitors around the province.#
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