Strong Chinese trade links seen to boost Cebu tourism

CEBU, Philippines — The international trade body of Shanghai, China believes that strengthening its ties with the Philippines will largely benefit the tourism industry of Cebu.

The Cebu provincial government recently met with the delegation China Council for the Promotion of International Trade.

A press statement from the provincial government quoted Yang Jianrong, head of the council, as saying Chinese tourists spend more during their travel abroad compared to other nationals and choosing Cebu as their destination will be a big boost to the island's economic growth.

The Cebu business community is being invited to join the China International Import Expo in November, as well as the Belt and Road Brand Expo in June and July.

“I see the charm of the landscape here in Cebu, and you can present the tourist attractions here during the Belt and Road Brand Expo,” Yang was quoted as saying.

Chinese tourists coming to Cebu are expected to increase in two to three years.

Yang said Chinese President Xi Jinping endorsed the two major international trade fairs, saying that China wants to share the country’s gains and reforms by opening its market wider to the world.

Last year, the New York City-based travel magazine, Travel+Leisure named Cebu as the world’s second friendliest island while it was included in Conde Nast Travel’s Reader’s Choice Awards 2017, as among the top three best islands in the world.

Based on the study of the Cebu Investment and Promotions Office (CIPO), China ranked fourth in terms of tourist arrivals with 187,335 Chinese nationals visiting Cebu in 2016.

Cebu's economic growth is seen to further pick up once key infrastructure projects are realized.

These projects include the Terminal 2 of the Mactan Cebu International Airport, touted as the world’s first resort airport; the Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway Bridge; the Bus Rapid System; the Metro Cebu International Container Port, and the Cebu rail transit project, among others.

Cebu currently has 36 special economic zones, 26 of which are IT Parks and Centers; 7 for manufacturing; 2 for tourism and 1 for agro-industrial.

The meeting also resulted in setting up of a communication channel in order to further enhance collaboration between Shanghai and Cebu Province in the fields of trade and investment. (FREEMAN)