TAGUM CITY (4 October) -- Davao del Norte's island to highland features augur well with efforts on harnessing eco-cultural strength of the Davao Region as a tourist destination.

Addressing the 1st Provincial Tourism Congress at the CAP Auditorium, Regional Director Sonia Garcia of the Department of Tourism (DOT) sent home a message that the region need not settle only as an eco-tourism destination but it could also bank on its rich cultural heritage to entice more tourists.

Speaking before stakeholders of the tourism industry of Davao del Norte, Garcia explained that eco-cultural positioning could attract big-ticket tourists especially Europeans who loved to see the weave of culture in foreign lands.

"We have it here," she said with zest as she cited how people in the province valued culture that matched well with various eco-cultural spots of the province such the pristine beaches of the Island Garden City of Samal to the cultural village of the Ata-Manobos in Talaingod.

She was also quite happy about the prospect of finally opening up the Talaingod, Davao del Norte-Bukidnon Road which she said, could spell a big difference in the way the economy of the Davao del Norte municipalities of Talaingod and Kapalong would run.

Meanwhile, Garcia encouraged executives of local governments in Davao del Norte and other stakeholders in the tourism industry to endorse to her office tourism-related projects needing funds so the department can help look for money to them to take off.

Already on DOT's list for funding support are the tourism estate development site in the Island Garden City of Samal and the Madgao River in Asuncion whose local government recently launched it as a kayaking destination.

On the other hand, Regional Tourism Council president Alma Uy, wife of Tagum City Mayor Rey T. Uy, wanted that municipalities in the province "complement each other and not compete with each other."

Giving her inspirational message at the opening of the Tourism Exhibit Wednesday (September 27), Uy explained how Tagum City could play role in boosting the tourism industry of the province.

She admitted that Tagum City doesn't have natural endowment to show off visitors but it serves well as a selling point to bring local and foreign tourists to desired eco-tourism sites n a particularly municipality.

Tourists can opt to visit any of the eco-sites in nearby municipalities while Tagum City is a place where they can stay and spend night life gimmicks, she explained.