Exploring a More Digital Future for Tourism
BACOLOD - Councilor Em Ang of the Sangguniang Panlungsod Committee on Culture and Arts opened the culminating program, highlighting creativity, collaboration, and innovation in advancing tourism. Throughout the celebration, participants explored how digital tools and emerging technologies can provide new ways to present destinations, culture, and local experiences. The activities also connected tourism innovation with Bacolod’s existing cultural identity, giving students and stakeholders opportunities to contribute ideas about how the city can tell its story in changing digital spaces.
Students Bring Tourism Stories to Life
Competitions became among the highlights of Tourism Week, giving students an opportunity to demonstrate their skills in tourism storytelling and tour guiding. In the Tourism Reels Competition, STI West Negros University emerged as champion, followed by La Consolacion College–Bacolod and UNO-R. Meanwhile, Alejo Joseph Esparagoza of the University of St. La Salle placed first in the Tour Guiding Competition, followed by John Danielle Giducos of STI West Negros University and Ana Clea Sumaria of La Consolacion College–Bacolod. NU Bacolod also added energy to the celebration through its intermission performance, “Hello World.”
Connecting Digital Storytelling With Local Heritage
The celebration also highlighted Bacolod’s local products, creativity, and food heritage through the participation of local enterprises, partner schools, and the Slow Food Earth Market. These activities showed how tourism can extend beyond destination visits by incorporating local food, community enterprises, storytelling, and creative expression. The culminating program ended with closing remarks from Chief Tourism Operations Officer Ma. Teresa Q. Manalili, officially closing Tourism Week 2026. From digital storytelling and artificial intelligence to local food and enterprise, the event provided a platform for exploring new ways to present Bacolod to visitors while continuing to celebrate the city’s culture and identity.
