Department of Tourism-Negros Island Region (DOT-NIR) Regional Director Crisanta Marlene Rodriguez has announced that cruise tourism is among the new approaches being considered to ramp up the industry in Negros Oriental.

Rodriguez disclosed this during her keynote speech Monday evening at the general assembly of the Negros Oriental Hotel Resort and Restaurant Association Inc. (NOHRRA) held in this provincial capital.

During the Salon de la Plongée Exhibit in Paris last month, which was attended by Rodriguez along with Negros Oriental officials, they spoke with Director Paulo Tugbang of the DOT’s Office of Product Development about diversifying tourism products, she said.

Negros Oriental has world-class dive sites, marine sanctuaries, healing and wellness experiences, food heritage, festivals and many others, she noted.

“Specifically for Negros Oriental, we were talking about cruise tourism. And (as) an offshoot of that meeting, on February 8, the French Cruise company Ponant will be here to inspect our ports and attractions,” Rodriguez said.

She added that Negros Oriental will hopefully be part of the French company’s cruise calls in 2027.

The DOT-NIR director characterizes the province as possessing a “unique advantage,” featuring a blend of culture, nature and creativity.

She emphasized that with a coordinated private sector, involving hotels, resorts and other service industry stakeholders, tourism transforms into more than mere arrivals; it represents “livelihood, pride, and legacy”.

Meanwhile, Gov. Manuel Sagarbarria, during his keynote in the same event, noted that Negros Oriental’s earnings from the tourism industry in 2024 are higher than Negros Occidental despite that latter having more tourist arrivals.

Data from the DOT presented during the event showed that Negros Oriental logged 828,429 tourist arrivals in 2024, with tourism receipts totalling PHP11.1 billion, while Negros Occidental had 883,514 tourist arrivals with PHP 7.9 billion in tourism receipts.

“We are around PHP3 billion more (in earnings) compared to Negros Occidental and the simple answer is that tourists that come to Negros Oriental are not fly-by-night,” Sagarbarria said.

He noted that these visitors spend time exploring, discovering the culture, dining at restaurants, and relishing their experience at tourist sites. (PNA)