A delegation from the Czech Republic visited Negros Occidental this week to hold a tourism business exchange as part of the province’s collaboration with their embassy since 2015.
The team, led by Tourism Authority Director Michal Prochaázka, met with Governor Eugenio Lacson at the Provincial Capitol on Tuesday, together with Provincial Supervising Tourism Operations Officer Cristine Mansinares and local tour operators, at Seda Capitol Central hotel recently.
“During the business exchange, we presented what we have in Negros Occidental that can also be promoted among Czech nationals,” Mansinares said.
She said some of the tourism sites she highlighted were visited by the Czech tourism official and tour operators from three companies.
“They wanted to create a program on Negros Occidental that can be sold to Czech nationals and their clients in Europe,” Mansinares said.
The team is currently going around the Philippines to update local tour operators of their new tourism products and programs.
Mansinares said one of the visiting tour operators, who has roots in La Castellana, Negros Occidental and has established a business in Prague, will create the itinerary that can be marketed in the Czech Republic.
“Considering that it is a landlocked country, the province has a potential market there, especially for beaches and other sea products,” Mansinares added.
Aside from the tourism exchange program, another partnership between the province and the Czech Republic includes the establishment of trail marking at Mount Kanlaon Natural Park in 2015.
Also, it was Czech architect Antonín Raymond who designed the Angry Christ Church or the Saint Joseph the Worker Chapel in Victorias City, which has been declared as one of the important cultural properties in the Philippines. (Erwin Nicavera, PNA via NDB)09