Cebu to host world tourism forum

Following the successful hosting of the 12th ASEAN Summit, Cebu will once again play host to another international event next month, which will be attended by members of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

During the weekly 888 News Forum held at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino, Tourism undersecretary Phineas Alburo announced that DOT is expecting 500 international and local delegates for the 6th UNWTO International Tourism Forum for Parliamentarians and Local Authorities come October 21 to 25 at the Shangri-La’s Mactan Island Resort and Spa.

With the theme “Tourism and Millennium Development Goals,” the forum will tackle timely and substantive issues that concerns all the delegates, said Alburo.

“With our success in hosting the ASEAN Summit, we are very confident that this kind of event will once again put the Philippines in the international tourism map as venue for big and relevant events,” he pointed out.

Without revealing the allocated budget for the hosting of this international event, Alburo said that right now all systems are being placed and they are calling for the local community's support in making it a successful event.

He said that as compared to the ASEAN Summit, the international forum will not be attended by heads of states, but officials and other representatives such as senators, which means there is no need to tighten security.

DOT has tapped six hotels as official accommodation for the delegates and this include: Shangri-La’s Mactan Island Resort and Spa, Maribago Bluewaters, Plantation Bay, Hilton, and two city hotels Waterfront Hotel and Marco Polo Plaza Hotel.

Alburo said that in partnership with the National Association of Independent Tour Operators- Cebu Chapter (NAITAS) as well as the Cebu Association of Tour Operators (CATO), they will be offering post event tours to the participants so that they can visit other tropical destinations within the country.

It will be the country's first to host UNWTO International Tourism Forum for Parliamentarians and Local Authorities as it was last held last year in Tunisia.

Speakers and special guests expected to attend the international forum include President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Tourism Secretary Joseph “Ace” Durano, House Speaker Prospero Nograles and Secretary General Francisco Frangialli.

 Out of the 135 member-countries of the World Tourism Organization (WTO), 29 have already confirmed to send around 81 delegates to the forum and Alburo said that this is almost 50 percent of their expected number of delegates.

But despite the fact that DOT will be spearheading the event, Alburo stressed that only food and shuttle services during the forum will be shouldered by their agency as hotel accommodations and travel fare will be paid by the delegates.

He said that the forum is for free and they will not be charging the delegates any registration fees.

Among relevant topics to be discussed in the forum are the development of a national system on tourism statistics, the alarming issue on climate change brought about by global warming, communication and ethics in tourism, and measuring employment in the industry, among others.