A taste of Iloilo City’s Night Tour project

By John Noel E. Herrera

Tour guides, tour operators, and other members of the media in Iloilo City got a taste of the Iloilo City Night Tour project proposed by the City Tourism and Development Office (CTDO) Oct 7, 2022.

The CTDO developed the three-hour night tour to showcase the different hues and views of Iloilo City at night, particularly aesthetic, cultural, and historical landmarks in the city.

The project will soon be offered by the city government to visitors in beefing up its tourism campaign.

City Tourism Officer Junel Divinagracia said that they are optimistic about the project as “some of the tourists will opt to take the night tour since it’s colder and more peaceful and they get to experience Iloilo City by night.”

“We found out that guests were enjoying and they could focus on the stories of the destination since there were less distractions like traffic and people. It is not too warm so they like the cold weather,” Divinagracia added.

The itinerary during Friday’s night tour included an early dinner at Punot Restaurant at Board Walk in Mandurriao, Iloilo City, while the first stop was at the popular K-town at the Festive Walk of the Iloilo Business Park.

It was followed by a tour of Jaro plaza and the National Shrine of Our Lady of Candles at the Jaro Metropolitan Cathedral, going to the Iloilo Provincial Capitol, Plaza Libertad and Iloilo City Hall.

The last stop was in Molo district, particularly Molo plaza, the historic St. Anne Parish Church, and Molo Mansion.

Tourist guides and operators, as well as some members of the media, gave comments on improving the night tour, like ensuring police visibility in different areas included in the itinerary and playing classical music in the plazas.

In July 2022, CTDO also held a night tour with a group from Palawan Electric Cooperative and the University of the Philippines Alumni Association (UPAA).

Tourists interested in the night tour can also hire accredited tour guides or ask for assistance from the CTDO, where they will be provided with a free itinerary.

Data from Iloilo City Tourism and Development Office (CTDO) indicated that a total of 191,654 local and foreign tourists visited the city, either for conventions, conferences, meetings, vacations, and other appointments, since January this year.

Divinagracia also said that the city’s tourism industry started to recover in April and May when health and travel restrictions started to loosen, and conferences and conventions were again allowed.