The tourism industry is one of the key economic drivers of Bohol. However, with the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns as a result of the coronavirus disease (Covid) response, the tourism sector in the province is being severely affected.

As the province moves to a “new normal”, the development is moving towards the reopening of the tourism industry.

To reopen the industry, Gov. Arthur Yap is quick in his move to take advantage of the opportunity of the so-called “travel bubbles”, also known as “travel corridors”. 

The governor is serious in his plan about the travel bubbles as evidenced by his decision to solicit ideas from tourism stakeholders, particularly, the members of the Bohol Association of Hotel, Resorts, and Restaurants (BAHRR). In a recent meeting with this group, Governor Yap consulted the BAHRR members to come up with a plan where the province can take advantage of the travel bubbles that will be set up for the province.

TRAVEL BUBBLES

Travel bubbles are agreements with countries, jurisdictions, or areas with either zero or low Covid cases or with a successful demonstration of their capability in controlling the dreaded infection within their borders, to enter into agreements with other areas that are also able to control the spread of the virus, to enter each other’s borders with minimum quarantine requirements.

Earlier this month, the governor set two thresholds that are needed to be crossed in order to reopen Bohol’s tourism industry. The first threshold is about giving confidence to the visitors that it is safe to visit Bohol and the other threshold is to give the local residents the assurance that no visitor will inadvertently spread the virus to the local community.

Tourism Sec. Bernadette Romulo-Puyat has been eyeing on Bohol as one of the places in the country to enter into travel bubbles.

Puyat explained that in travel bubbles, “tourists from countries with low to zero Covid-19 cases” will be allowed to visit the Philippines and they have to “fly directly to tourist hotspots with international airports.”

To ensure that Bohol is ready to fulfill the two (2) thresholds, the province needs to have a network of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) laboratories and a reliable contact tracing system.

Bohol province, on July 17, 2020, received its mobile containerized PCR laboratory which is able to test anywhere from 200 to 300 swab samples, according to initial reports.

The same reports say that the molecular laboratory inside the Gov. Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital (GCGMH), can do around 900 swab tests in a day.

Moreover, the province is set to distribute the “family cards” which are cards with quick response (QR) codes printed on them. The governor said in a previous engagement with the Bohol media that the aim of the card is to automate the data gathering that can be used in contact tracing.

REGIONAL COOPERATION

The four (4) Central Visayas (CV) governors are set to meet in order to discuss the possibility of having a common agreement related to the restarting of their respective tourism industries.

According to a report by the Philippine News Agency (PNA), Governors Yap of Bohol, Gwendolyn Garcia of Cebu, Roel Degamo of Negros Oriental, and Zaldy Villa of Siquijor have agreed to meet on August 12, 2020 in Siquijor province for the purpose, among others, of discussing the tourism industry of each of their provinces. Moreover, the CV governors will meet to discuss the eventual reopening of the regional economy.

Siquijor province is the only area in CV without any confirmed Covid positive case as of this writing.

The meeting of the CV governors will be organized by the Office of the Presidential Adviser for the Visayas (OPAC) in cooperation with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Department of Tourism (DOT), the Department of Agriculture (DA), and the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA).

Governor Garcia suggested to hold such meeting following another virtual meeting hosted by the OPAC with the CV governors and DTI Asst, Sec. for regional operations Asteria Caberte.

The Cebu governor said it would be best for the four (4) island provincial governors “to work together” to agree on the possibility of restarting the tourism industry for domestic tourists.

For his part, Yap said that Bohol is mulling travel bubbles to support the province’s economy as he emphasized that tourism is one of the main drivers of Bohol’s economy.

The Bohol governor said the province is exploring bilateral agreements related to tourism, the PNA report says.

On the other hand, Cebu’s Garcia said that this is the best time for CV provinces to agree on protocols that will be implemented once tourism-related activities are allowed to operate again.