THE coalition pushing Palawan as a historical destination on Thursday expressed optimism that tourist arrival in the province will receive a significant boost once landmarks in the area are fully developed.
Rajah Travel Corp. Chairman Aileen Clemente, speaking on behalf of the coalition, said Palawan’s tourism goes beyond the underground river and its pristine beaches.
“We are trying to put together a tour package that will highlight lost historical pieces of Palawan and its contribution to the country’s liberation during World War II,” Clemente said.
She added: “While the United States army has recognized the importance of Palawan by naming one of the learning and training rooms in the barracks of its 41st Infantry Division in Oregon after it, a lot of Filipinos are still not aware of the heroism that happened there.”
According to Clemente, there is now an increased optimism within the coalition that historical tourism will provide at least a 10-percent boost for Palawan tourism after the Department of Tourism (DOT) 2014 data revealed an uptick in American and Japanese arrivals.
Among the historical tourism destinations in Puerto Princesa that have been pinpointed by the coalition are the World War II Memorial Museum, Plaza Cuartel, Mendoza Park and Iwahig Prison.
“The current efforts being done are toward refurbishing and restoring these places and improving the tourism infrastructure surrounding those areas. These are just places that are just waiting to be discovered,” Clemente said.
For 2014 American tourist arrivals grew by 7.14 percent to 722,750, representing the biggest increase from the top 5 Philippine markets, while Japan, with 463,744 tourists, had close to 10 percent of total arrivals last year.
Combined, the American and Japanese tourists spent P52.11 billion during their stay in the country last year.
Outside of American and Japanese tourists, Clemente also sees potential from the new air and sea connectivity talks between Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.
More than 8,000 American and Filipino troops were involved in the liberation of Palawan along with the Palawan Fighting One Thousand Guerrilla Unit. There were also 139 American prisoners of war who were found burned inside Plaza Cuartel.
Aside from Rajah Travel Corp., others involved in the coalition are the DOT, province of Palawan, city of Puerto Princesa, the United States Agency for International Development, Palawan Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Palawan Tourism Council.
The coalition will be staging the three-day event, “A Salute to Valor: Palawan-70 Years of Freedom,” in Puerto Princesa from April 21 to 23.