TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Philippines — Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim has vowed to support and give priority to the Tagbilaran-Panglao tourism plan, saying the province is positioned as the top potential tourism destination development area in the country.

Lim, who served as one of the guest speakers of the 1st Bohol Tourism Summit last Friday, stressed that tourism in the province is very bullish and that the department will help fund the feasibility study on how to further improve the current Panglao Airport, which will soon accommodate international flights to attract more tourists and investments.

He cited the upgrading of key tourism facilities like road infrastructures, sewage system, improvement of Panglao water supply which is currently a problem in the island, and other sanitation issues crucial in attracting investments.

“Improvement of accessibility, policy and infrastructure is very important in the development of tourism along with the creation of market competition,” he said.

Lim believed that Bohol will be the next Bali where the influx of tourists is generally high. “I see Bohol as the next Bali because it has all the qualities of Bali with its pristine beaches, beautiful dive spots and rich culture,” he added.

He also pointed out the importance of local government unit support in the tourism sector, saying that “tourism can’t succeed without a good government leadership.”

Also, during the summit which was attended by the major key players in the industry Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Gregory Domingo signed a memorandum of agreement with the Department of Tourism to promote and strengthen the tourism plan of the province by providing better business linkages.

The MOA was undertaken by the two Cabinet secretaries to agree and closely coordinate with each other in the comprehensive developments of the tourism sector, including promotion of the main tourism value chains and the strengthening of various supply chains providing support to the tourism sector.