Cebu tourism industry seen to rev up this year

While Cebu has proven its strength as a “destination of choice” for both domestic and foreign tourists in the past few years, the “best is yet to come,” as the province still has to achieve its maximum tourism potential.

The year 2008 will start the gear for a more well-known Cebu in the international market, while the overdue problem on room accommodation shortage can be addressed this year, said Department of Tourism (DOT-7) regional director Patria Aurora Roa.

According to Roa, Cebu’s strong stance in inviting hotel and resorts capitalists has slowly paid off. This year alone, about 1,500 more resort and hotel rooms will be added to the accommodation facilities of Cebu.

“A lot of things can happen in the tourism industry in Cebu, including the entire region of Central Visayas this year,” Roa said.

The government’s focus, which is to sell the Central Philippines, as a tourism magnet for the Philippines, is going to give Cebu another tourism “hey day”, as the province offers a combined metropolis and leisure come-ons.

More new resorts and hotels will open this year, these are the 600-room Imperial Palace Resort at Mactan Island, the Microtel Hotel also in Mactan, SM’s Sofitel, the Diplomate Hotel (near the Cebu Business Park), and other room expansion projects of existing resorts and hotels here.

The room shortage and the accessibility issues of the tourism industry in Cebu, will be addressed starting this year, Roa said.

The ASEAN-one aviation policy program has been agreed in principle, and awaiting for formal implementation this year. This could provide solution to the direct flight accessibility problem of Cebu to connect with other international destinations.

“We are expecting more international flights starting this year, as the ASEAN open skies policy is soon to be implemented,” she said in an interview yesterday.

The Mactan International Airport Authority (MCIAA) has already anticipated in this development, expansion projects had been started to accommodate more international direct flights to open in Cebu soon, she said.

MCIAA chief executive officer (CEO) and general manager Augusto B. Francia announced earlier that it will start the P200-million expansion that is targeted to be realized in the next two years.

He said there are a number of expansion projects that are being discussed by the MCIAA board, including the establishment of another runway, one more departure lounge, and two more bridges.

Currently, the airport’s terminal could accommodate a total of 4.5 million passengers at one time. Domestic terminal can host 500,000 people, while four million people for the international terminal.

Last year, the international terminal accommodated 700,000 passengers, during peak hours, Francia said.

Likewise, Bohol could expect a more dynamic tourism trade, as more capitalists have started to build class A resorts especially in Panglao Island. The realization of the Panglao airport is already in the works, as it is set to be inaugurated on April 2010.

Roa, who also sits as one of the board of directors of the Panglao Tourism Estate Inter-Agency Task Force, said that both Cebu and Bohol could achieve their highest level in the tourism trade in the next few years.

Because of this, other provinces in the region will also be benefited as travel linkages will be well developed to promote tourism attractions in other areas in Central Visayas, like Negros and Siquijor.

Tourism arrivals for the region registered a 19.66 percent increase from January to October of 2007.

According to Roa, while the best is yet to come for the region, growth in arrivals and tourism receipts are expected to double this year and in the coming years.

She said more tourism attractions will be re-discovered within the region, and will be put into the promotion map— this will give wider options for tourists to wander not only in one destination, but other provinces in Central Visayas.

Cebu, will continue to be the international gateway for the growing tourists to visit to the region, they will then be given options for different tour packages promoting sites in other provinces.

Private sector tourism advocate, Mila Espina, likewise projects a good tourism year for Cebu, and the rest of the region.

Espina said last year for instance, despite the cancellations made by other foreign travelers due to the “Peninsula Hotel” fall out, travel schedules for Cebu, were not affected.