DoT inaugurates tourist rest area in Palawan

The Department of Tourism (DoT) unveiled the tourist rest area (TRA) in the municipality of Roxas in Palawan on Friday, April 12, in a ceremony led by Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco.

Strategically located along the national highway in Sandoval and San Nicolas villages in Roxas, the TRA seeks to be a convenient pit stop for travelers going on a road trip to explore Palawan’s breathtaking and world-class destinations.

“We have to enhance the overall tourist experience so that our tourists will enjoy their stay, stay longer, and come back again and again, and in that way, we are sure that the livelihood and employment will expand within our destinations and the neighboring destinations,” Frasco said as she echoed the directives of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

“I totally understand the challenges that local chief executives and local governments face in terms of matching their vision for tourism with their budget,” she added.

Palawan provincial and local government officials expressed thanks for the successful inauguration and turnover of the flagship TRA in Roxas.

The Roxas TRA is one of the first TRAs introduced by the DoT under Frasco’s directives last year, in response to the President’s request to improve the entire tourist experience.

Frasco said that the DoT will shortly start construction of another TRA in Brooke’s Point, Palawan, to serve tourists traveling to the province’s southern areas.

Other locations where TRAs have been constructed and are already functioning include Manolo Fortich in Bukidnon; Island Garden City of Samal in Davao del Norte; Dauis in Bohol; Carcar City, and the municipalities of Carmen, Medellin and Moalboal in Cebu.

Secretary Frasco previously announced that an additional 20 TRAs will be constructed in key regions across the country this year.