The Department of Tourism in the Cordillera Administrative Region (DOT-CAR) said stakeholders should take advantage of the gains of experiential tourism to increase return visits.

Destinations must come up with activities which tourists can participate in and will give a personal feel of the place and culture, Jovita Ganongan, DOT-CAR director, said in a phone interview on Monday.

“Let us not just offer the place,” she said. “Let us aim to provide our tourists a different experience aside from just seeing our beautiful attractions.”

In 2023, the region received 1.6 million tourists, already near the 2019 record of 2.01 million.

Ganongan cited strap or loom weaving for tourists to experience how a fabric is put together.

“They will even appreciate the fabrics or the apparel if they also put in effort for the creation of the product,” she said.

Cordillera dances, chants, native attires and drinking tapuey (rice wine) will also be valuable experiences for tourists, Ganongan said.

Guests may likewise participate during flower and fruit harvest, especially of the Sagada orange and La Trinidad, Benguet strawberries.

“We are asking our operators to come up with loop tours,” she said, referring to linking of provinces and sites. (PNA)