City tours a hit for APEC delegates

CEBU, Philippines – City tour within Cebu is so far the most in-demand tour packages availed of by the APEC delegates since they arrived in Cebu a week ago, the Department of Tourism (DOT-7) reported yesterday.

Rowena Montecillo, regional director of DOT-7 said that of the 2,778 registered delegates, close to a hundred have already availed of the different tour packages, and the most popular so far is the tour around the city, with the understandably busy schedule of the delegates.

However, Montecillo said that some foreign delegates have already visited the neighboring provinces like Bohol, and some islands in the Cebu province during the weekend.

Island hopping and countryside tours are also gaining interest, while there growing number of foreign and local delegates are purchasing these type of tours.

A tour consortium of large tour operators in Cebu was awarded to provide rest and creation options of the delegates during the duration of the summit.

The tour consortium composed of Southwind Travel and Tours Inc., Destination Specialists Inc. and Wander Lanes Travel and Co., has initially prepared eight tour packages to be offered to delegates of the technical working group, senior officials and ministerial meetings.

These tour packages include island hopping, countryside, highlands, diving, spa and wellness, Cebuano food tour, souvenir, and countryside tours in Bohol.

The DOT, on the other hand, is also providing Cebu Heritage and New Horizons Tour, a complimentary tour package shouldered by the DOT.

Montecillo  said APEC delegates may avail themselves of tour packages like island-hopping, countryside or highlands tours, diving, spa and wellness,

The tour consortium is led by Southwinds Travel and Tours Inc. owner Alice Queblatin, who is also the past president of the Cebu Association of Tour Operators (CATO.).

Montecillo  said the APEC is a good occasion for Cebu to show its destinations and hospitality.

Of the 2,778 registered delegates attending the 87 meetings of the APEC-Third Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM3) spread from August 22,  to September 11, 2015, about 1,528 are foreign delegates coming from other 20 member economies of the Asia Pacific region.