Tourism and cultural workers in Negros Occidental are urged to strengthen destinations amid the rapidly evolving tourism landscape and the rise of technology and artificial intelligence (AI).

This was among the highlights of discussions at the 2nd Negros Occidental Tourism Summit organized by the Association of Tourism Workers of Negros Occidental (ATWoNO) at STI-West Negros University here on Wednesday.

In her presentation, Department of Tourism-Negros Island Region (DOT-NIR) Regional Director Crisanta Marlene Rodriguez stressed the need to look beyond visitor numbers in measuring tourism growth.

“The future of NIR tourism will not be defined only by how many visitors come — but by how much value they create, how long they stay, how widely the benefits are shared, and how strongly our destinations compete,” she added.

Based on the DOT-NIR data, tourist receipts jumped to PHP32.4 billion in 2025 even with lower tourist arrivals of only 2.69 million.

In 2024, tourist arrivals totaled 2.79 million, translating to only PHP30.98 billion in tourism receipts.

The summit’s tourism leadership forum “Leading Tourism Destinations in a Changing World” focused on leadership, collaboration, emerging challenges and strategies for strengthening destinations across Negros Occidental.

In the afternoon, the plenary sessions tackled the evolving landscape of tourism, from cultural identity and workforce development to artificial intelligence, digital marketing and destination storytelling.

Former National Commission for Culture and the Arts chairman Felipe de Leon stressed that cultural identity is a foundation of tourism growth, urging stakeholders to “build on our strengths, especially cultural strengths.”

Lawyer Gio Franco Gomez, executive director of the Partnership and Linkages Office of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, discussed building a future-ready tourism workforce equipped to respond to the changing needs of the industry.

Department of Information and Communications Technology-Negros Occidental provincial head Mary Jane Agonace shared insights on artificial intelligence, digital marketing and destination storytelling, highlighting the role of technology in promoting destinations and reaching the right target audiences.

The event was capped by the signing of a memorandum of agreement on tourism development and industry-academe collaboration between ATWoNO and STI-West Negros University.

The collaboration seeks to strengthen collaboration between local government unit tourism offices and the academe through research, community engagement, capacity building and joint initiatives supporting sustainable and inclusive tourism growth in Negros Occidental.

The two-day event brings together tourism leaders, local government officials, tourism professionals, tourism enterprises, academe, culture and arts advocates, and other stakeholders from across the region for learning, collaboration and inspiration. (PNA)