LINGAYEN—Tourist arrivals and receipts in Northern Luzon, particularly in Region 1 are expected to grow leaps and bounds in the years ahead.

This is the prediction of the Department of Tourism (DOT), and in this context, it called on the private sector to tap the potential of the entire Northern Luzon area, which includes Pangasinan, for development as a major tourist destination.

Speaking during the 1st Pangasinan Tourism Assembly here last week, DOT Regional Director Martin Valera said Northern Luzon — composed of regions 1, 2, 3, and the Cordilleras with 20 provinces and 13 cities — is “brimming with a lot of opportunities that the private sector can take advantage of.”

At the same time, Valera stressed that the region also needs to intensify efforts in instilling a “culture of tourism”.

He noted that Region 1 – covering the provinces of Pangasinan, La Union, Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte –is taking one step towards that direction by formulating a tourism road map next year.

The DOT noted that in 2010, there were almost 478,000 visitors in Region 1 with Ilocos Norte taking the biggest slice of the pie although Pangasinan, he added, is now slowly catching up.

The road map will identify projects that can spur visitor arrivals and serve as a guide for policy-makers in drafting a framework for setting the direction of tourism development.

Valera noted that Northern Luzon corridor already has three international airports and it stands to benefit from the development of the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport in Pampanga as a major international gateway.

An airport, initially designed to serve domestic flights, is also currently being built in Alaminos City.

The DOT has just liberalized charter flights going to secondary gateways in the Philippines to increase the frequency of their usage.

Valera added that Northern Luzon has seaports where international and domestic ships call in.

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