Redefining Tourism – Pangasinan as a Go-To-Sport Mecca
Photo by Ron Dorendo
Remember
Palarong Pambansa 2012? That was held in the province of Pangasinan, the standard
setter for future hosting of the annual national sport competition. For several
years, Pangasinan has been a successful venue for organized sporting event in
the country. At the utmost, we can say the province is indeed the next niche of
sports tourism.
But wait!
Sports tourism? Well, the term might be new to some of us. Up until recently, tourism
has evolved into a new form. Attracting local and foreign tourist alike to a
certain place does not necessarily mean having a UNESCO recognized heritage
site, a World War II kamikaze fighter plane, a Boracay-like paradise, and so
on.
And so what
is sports tourism? Sports tourism may have been cited as the next major
industry, providing significant economic and employment benefits. It’s nothing
but a fancy name referring to the movement of people to one place to see or
participate in a live sporting event. Easy, isn’t?
Consider the
global spectacle of the ancient Greek tournament, the Olympics, the festive
atmosphere of World Football Cup, or the hype produced by the best of seven
games between San Antonio Spurs and Miami Heat in the NBA finals. In the sports
realm, it’s not hard to imagine indeed that events like these draw so much
attention in the global scene along with the emergence of niche markets as a
major factor in tourism development.
Known as a
tourist destination itself, Spain doubled its tourist arrival following the
1992 Barcelona Olympics. Sydney and Beijing became a catalyst of economic
growth for their country after their stint as hosts of 2000 and 2008 Olympics.
Brazil, on the other hand, will likely attract a big bulk of foreign investment
as they will host the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Olympics.
Today,
sports enthusiasts are now raving in the opportunity to explore Pangasinan as a
go-to sport mecca in the region. Witnessing the wide array of talent on display
during the staging of Palarong Pambansa last May of 2012, tourists plunged into
action as more sporting events were hosted in the province. The Northern Leg of
Batang Pinoy, the 2012 National Primary and Secondary Schools Chess
Championship, the 2013 Region 1 Athletic Association Meet (R1AA), the 2013 Private
Schools Athletic Association (PRISAA), the Pistay’ Dayat Invitational Triathlon
Tournament, and among others, were successfully hosted In the international
standard facilities of Narciso Ramos Sports and Civic Center in Lingayen and
other venues in Pangasinan.
Committed to
youth and sports development, Governor Amado T. Espino Jr of Pangasinan is
always open to future hosting of regional, national, and even international
sporting event in the province. Along with the vision for a Sports Academy in
the province, he also announced the opening of water sport adventure in
September along the Agno river bank in Bugallon, Pangasinan. The project may
well be a potential growth area in the tourism sector as adventures like Dragon
Boat, Parasailing, Jet Ski, Kayak, Banana Boat, and other water sports
activities will be featured. Rather than being designed as a purely sporting
event, the water sport adventures is also a drawcard for promotion of tourism
in the province.
Given the
province’s status as a tourist destination, hosting major sports events
presents a greater opportunity to further explore Pangasinan’s tourism assets.
Think of this: tourists who are engaged in sports related purposes tend to stay
longer. Thereby, majority of the benefits of the influx of athletes,
organizers, and mere sports fans will be enjoyed by accommodation providers
such as hotels, transport operators, restaurants, convenient stores, and so on.
Clearly, the
hosting of the Palarong Pambasa in 2012 provided Pangasinan a unique
opportunity to showcase the province in the regional, national, and
international level, not only as a tourist destination, but also with the
ability to organize world class sporting venues. With the support of the administration of
Governor Espino to youth and sports development, the province will continue to
become a go-to sports mecca in the country.
So, Pangasinan,
better be ready.
