Highland destinations work on reviving tourists’ interest

CEBU, Philippines — Businesses in the highlands of Cebu are now working with the Cebu City Tourism Commission to boost the appeal of Cebu highland destinations, following the notable decline of visitor traffic post-pandemic.

Restaurateur and tourism advocate Edwin Ortiz, who is also one of the commissioners at the Cebu City Tourism Commission, said that Cebu highland business owners are working with the Commission to develop strategic programs aimed at sustaining the appeal of Cebu mountain destinations.

According to Ortiz, this initiative responds to the decline in business activities and foot traffic experienced by businesses up in the mountains in the aftermath of the pandemic.

Ortiz, who is also tasked to lead the Hilly Land Group, admitted that destinations up in the mountains in Cebu City up to the western part of Cebu including Balamban, which mushroomed from 2020 to 2021 have to work together to come up with programs to revive the interest of tourists, and local visiting the mountain destinations.

Ortiz owns the 4.5 hectares Evo Nature Camp in barangay Ga-as Balamban. He said that the opening of shopping malls, and the resurgence of business activities in the city, as well as the rising inflation, affected the businesses in the highlands of Cebu.

Thus, business owners are now crafting strategies to launch more activities and sustainable promotional programs.

Last year, Ortiz together with business owners in the hilly lands of Cebu went to Baguio City in a bid to come up with a flower festival patterned after Baguio’s famous Penagbenga Festival, a month-long annual flower occasion.

Cebu’s highland areas which are known also as the flower basket of Cebu, Ortiz emphasized should launch similar events to boost not only flower farming but also other businesses such as destination cafés, restaurants, hospitality, and ornamental garden destinations, among others.

During the pandemic, the Department of Tourism (DOT-7) led promotional activities of mountain destinations, including farms in Cebu City taking advantage of the rising interest of people going uphill to de-stress.

DOT-7 regional director Shalimar Tamano said earlier that Cebu City has good mountainous sites that attract local tourists, even out-of-towners, and these should be developed to draw in more visitors.

Aside from plain sightseeing or plant shopping, tourism stakeholders in Cebu have also developed more outdoor activities like mountain climbing, and trekking, among others during the pandemic.

Today, many businesses are grappling with a downturn in their operations. However, some establishments like Ortiz’s Evo Nature Camp managed to generate sufficient revenues to sustain daily operations. This success can be attributed to the appeal of Evo Nature Camp’s glamping (Glamor Camping) accommodations, which continue to attract a steady stream of guests.

The Cebu City Tourism Commission headed by City Councilor Joy Pesquera, Ortiz said will soon introduce joint programs with the Cebu Hilly Land Group to rescue businesses affected by visitor slowdown post-pandemic.

Meanwhile, Ortiz expressed confidence the weakening business in the up in the mountains is temporary. The introduction of sustainable promotional programs, coupled with the anticipated transfer of the Capital from Cebu City to Balamban, Cebu, is expected to elevate business activities and contribute to a resurgence in the area.

In 2021, DOT-7 initiated a move to develop a strong culture of tourism along the 33-kilometer Transcentral Highway (TCH).

DOT-7 partnered with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) 7 to proactively work alongside the local governments of Cebu City and Balamban to sustain the growth in businesses and promote tourism culture along the 33-kilometer TCH.

According to Ortiz, efforts are also being planned to create more activities also to attract more visitors to the historical Mt. Manunggal.

Mt. Manunggal is the third-highest peak in Cebu. It is located in Barangay Magsaysay in Balamban, Cebu , and is known as the site of the crash of the presidential plane Mt. Pinatubo which killed President Ramon Magsaysay and 24 others on March 17, 1957.

The 2020 COVID-19 lockdown drove the Cebu highlands, also known as TCH, into a favored destination not only for casual strollers and road trippers but also for food and beverage entrepreneurs. They invested in establishing dainty, novelty restaurants and cafes leveraging the therapeutic mountain views and fresh air.

Post-pandemic, stakeholders and the Cebu City Tourism Commission are determined to maintain the allure of the TCH by capitalizing on its diverse attractions, Ortiz concluded.