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.

“Kung ang mindset ng ibang (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 Engr. 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 here on Friday.

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

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

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

During the presscon, “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 is 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 your self as an artist and develop it so that you can make sales out of your works,” he said. (PNA)