MOTORBIKE ROUTE. A portion of the MacArthur Landing Memorial National Park in Palo, Leyte, the starting point of the motorcycle tourism launch for Eastern Visayas on June 18, 2022. More motorcycle tourism routes will be launched soon in the region.(Photo courtesy of I Love Tacloban) TACLOBAN CITY - The Department of Tourism (DOT) in Eastern Visayas will further promote motorcycle tourism in other areas of Eastern Visayas by creating tour routes in Northern Samar and Southern Leyte provinces. DOT Regional Director Karina Rosa Tiopes bared this on Thursday following the launch of motorcycle tourism in Leyte province last week. "We are looking at the possibility that we will introduce the motorcycle route towards the north and south. Those places are our connection to Luzon and Mindanao," Tiopes said in an interview. Seaports connecting the region to Luzon are located in San Isidro and Allen towns in Northern Samar province, making them the gateway for travelers to the northern part of the country. The motorcycle route, according to Tiopes will be between the towns in the first district of Northern Samar and Calbayog City areas. Another motorcycle route the DOT is eyeing to create is in Southern Leyte, near Liloan town where one of the ports that connect the region to Mindanao is located. "That is one way we can encourage motorcycle riders in the region to tour Eastern Visayas and at the same time this will make easy for our motorcycle enthusiasts in Luzon and Mindanao to take a look of Eastern Visayas and make a decision to come and make their road trips here," Tiopes said. On June 18, the DOT and the Federation of Eastern Visayas Motorcyclists Association launched the Philippine Motorcycle Tourism: Eastern Visayas Infinite Road Trips featuring the World War II engagement sites in Tacloban City and towns of Palo, Dagami, Burauen, Dulag, and Tolosa. Also included on the motorcycle route tour were the San Juanico Bridge and the new Leyte Provincial Capitol Complex. About 200 motorcycle riders from 25 clubs in six provinces of the region participated in the launching of motorcycle tourism. Eastern Visayas is the 8th region that launched the motorcycle tourism, which aims to promote road trips to stimulate the return of travel to tourism sites, invigorate local and domestic tourism, as well as advocate road safety. (PNA) }