THE number of project profiles gathered by the provincial offices of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in Regions 10 and 11 revealed that adventure tourism is on upswing. The 30 project profiles submitted to the investment arms of DTI – the Board of Investments (BOI) and National Economic Research and Business Assistance Center (NERBAC) in Davao – showed that majority of the investments that are on the pipeline and are up for business partners will cater to the adventure-seeking buffs. The 30 projects cost an aggregate of more than a billion peso. Of the 30 projects, 28 are from the Davao Region. BOI chief for Regions 9, 11, and 12 Engr. Gil M. Dureza said that tourism developments these days have put emphasis on the inclusion of adventure-related activities within the resorts. Dureza added that among the adventures that are integrated in resort development nowadays are spelunking, scuba-diving, rappelling, crossing the zip line, and mountain-climbing. Meanwhile, NERBAC-Davao acting manager Lawyer Lucky Siegfred M. Balleque said that of the 30 project profiles, the biggest is the agri-tourism project in the Island Garden City of Samal (IGACOS) which costs P800 million. “The projects are actually an indication that tourism development is really among the top investment potentials in Mindanao, especially in the Davao Region,” Balleque said. However, Balleque said, certain infrastructures and facilities have to be established in order to complement the on-going tourism developments. “One necessary infrastructure is the bridge connecting Davao City and IGACOS. With this, the movement of goods and people will be much easier. This is an opportunity which the government and private investors can look into,” he said.
