Good prospects seen in Cebu tourism this year

CEBU, Philippines - Tourism stakeholders are anticipating another banner year for Cebu’s tourism industry, amid challenges brought about by the two disasters in the later part of 2013.

“The airport expansion is the best indicator that things look bright in 2014 for travel and tourism for Cebu,” said tourism capitalist Jay Aldeguer.

Aside from internationally and nationally based tourism establishments setting up shops in Cebu, many of the local players, especially those coming from the export sector, have now shifted to capitalize on the tourism potential of the province, he said.

This active stance of stakeholders to further propel the tourism sector in providing more advance and improved choices and tourism related activities is seen to heighten prospects of Cebu’s tourism advantage.

According to Aldeguer, many of these new players have invested in hotels, restaurants, transportation, handicrafts and other tourism-related businesses, as they are more confident of the sectors’ sustainable growth, although disrupted by calamities.

“The local stakeholders’ participation will play an important role in providing solid and more complete ‘value chain’ for travel in Cebu. This will help solidify Cebu’s potential to become premier tourist destination in the region,” Aldeguer added.

Likewise, the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) which has been backing up the tourism sector’s development for couple of years now, committed to implement more improved tourism programs this year, in close coordination with the different tourism organizations, and the government, through the Department of Tourism (DOT).

CCCI president Lito Maderazo said that while the northern part of Cebu is still recovering from the bad effects of typhoon Yolanda, a more extensive program for tourism should be started in the southern part of the province to keep the balance.

Maderazo mentioned that Cebu, especially in the southern part, could implement more active tourism activity promotions, as well as introduce newer activities and develop more exciting destinations.

Latest report from the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA-7) indicated that tourism target for the region has already achieved 65.7 percent average growth in the last three years.

Although the effects of the Yolanda typhoon and 7.2-magnitude earthquake can affect the growth momentum of the sector and its target for 2013, NEDA-7 is looking at a fast recovery of the sector in 2014.

Cebu Business Club (CBC) president Gordon Alan Joseph said that that the industry is seen to continue its upswing performance despite the calamities’ interventions.

“I do hope the industry pulls together and does what Bali did after the bombing, and what Thailand did after the tsunami. They promoted and discounted rate packages to attract the tourists back—and the strategy worked,” said Joseph.  (FREEMAN)