As travel is still limited amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic, the City of Bacolod is giving the public a virtual tour of the sights and sounds it can offer.

The City Tourism Office, through a promotional video dubbed “Smile, you’re in Bacolod! uploaded on YouTube on Monday, is inviting travel enthusiasts to experience the “City of Smiles”.

“We invite you to sit down and dine with us again. We kept our smiles –all wide, all sweet and all charming. We invite you to know us once again and relive how wearing a mask in the past earned us a beautiful reputation. Grip on the changes while smiling. Welcome home. Smile, you’re in Bacolod!,” the introduction said.

The video, co-produced by the Department of Tourism-Western Visayas (DOT-6), is being launched on the week of what is supposed to be the highlights of the annual MassKara Festival, which has already been shelved twice because of the restrictions on mass gatherings posed by the pandemic.

Sandra Ruth Sycip, executive assistant in-charge of the City Tourism Office, said the six-minute video features tourism and cultural sites, gastronomic delights, adventure trails and many more that capture the experience of traveling to Bacolod once the pandemic is over.

“In the meantime, travelers may just visit Bacolod sites virtually through the promotional video,” she said in a statement.

The video highlights the minimum health protocols when traveling to various destinations in the city.

In her message, DOT-6 Regional Director Cristine Mansinares said they support the newest promotional video of Bacolod as part of the DOT’s tourism recovery efforts.

“October is MassKara Festival Month. We are reminded that we should continue to prevail (with) happiness and share the fun, laughter and excitement as we travel safely and responsibly in Bacolod City,” she added.

Mansinares said the video is expected to help in the DOT marketing efforts, as well as boost travel confidence among tourists. (PNA)