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.
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