Baguio artists urged to provide experiential tourism

ARTS FEST. Artists, supporters, and promoters during a press conference in Baguio City on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024) as arts and culture come together, aligned with Baguio’s tag as a Unesco creative city. They are participating in the four-day 14th Tam-awan International Arts Festival from Oct. 3 to 6 at the Tam-awan village in Baguio City. (PNA photo by Liza T. Agoot)

BAGUIO CITY — The city tourism office chief on Friday urged artists to come up with experiential tourism concepts in their galleries to entice more tourists and boost income.

“If the mindset of some establishments is sales, they may not be aware that by visiting their place, it is an experience that can lead to sales,” said Engineer Aloysius Mapalo, in an interview on the sideline of the press conference of the 14th Tam-awan International Arts Festival at the Tam-awan village in this city on Friday.

He said the city government was reintroducing experiential tourism as a come on especially with high-end tourists adding to their itineraries visits to museums, galleries, and places in the city that connect to culture.

He said that as a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) site for arts and crafts, Baguio is reintroducing the city’s essence as a cultural site.

He explained that people may initially find the prices of arts and crafts expensive but when they correlate it to an experience, there is a chance they would return and buy these pieces.

During the press conference, “Kublai”, an artist from Davao, who is participating in the arts festival, said he joined the festival to know whether the situation among artists in their region was the same as in other places.

Olan Cruz, owner of “Camp Folkwagen” and  curator of the Ayala Museum, said: “Not everyone can be BenCab and any prominent artist whose works are sought after.”

“Find yourself as an artist and develop it so you can make sales out of your work,” he said. (PNA)