Dive tourism is one of the major attractions in Negros Oriental that is now contributing to the local economy.
This was cited by Department of Tourism (DOT) Western Visayas and Negros Island Region (NIR) concurrent regional director, Crisanta Rodriguez, who said that Negros Oriental has the most established dive tourism among the provinces in the two regions.
“So napakalaking tulong ang diving in terms sa ekonomiya ng isang lugar kung ikaw ay may dive tourism,” Rodriguez said, adding that dive tourism not only benefits the resorts and the dive shops, but also the communities.
“We also consider divers as big spenders because they stay longer in one area hindi po sila na isa o dalawang araw lang to enjoy the marine environment and the community as well,” she said.
Rodriguez visited the province recently to attend the first Dive Dauin Festival, the biggest underwater photo shootout in Negros Island, which was held in Dauin town from June 25-29.
The Dive Dauin Festival is an offshoot of the Dive7 Fest organized by DOT Central Visayas as part of its post-pandemic recovery program, which started with 30 participants in 2021.
The number of participants increased each year, with 70 divers signing up for the Dive7 Fest in 2024, and 98 registrants this year.
The participants are local divers as well as foreigners from the USA, South Korea, Ukraine, Netherlands, Thailand, and Russia.
In 2023, the Philippines collected around P76 billion in tourism receipts from diving tourism.
“In both regions, ang Negros po talagang maganda kasi (Negros Island is the best because) I was able to dive already in Boracay and Negros; there are also dive spots in Negros Occidental, but Negros Oriental has the most number of dive spots, dive shops, and stakeholders,” said Rodriguez.
Tourism stakeholders in NIR have advocated for the Negros Oriental Dive Association (NORDA) and some private stakeholders to lead the organization of the Dive Dauin Festival to ensure its sustainability and profitability.
Provincial Tourism Board executive director Woodrow Maquiling Jr., meanwhile, thanked the DOT Central Visayas for initiating the Dive7 Festival in the province years ago which put Negros Oriental on the map as a premier dive tourism destination.
Maquiling expects to see an increase in the province’s tourist influx which would translate to an increase in revenues and create more livelihood opportunities. | PIA
