Cebu Province, newest member of ITOP

CEBU, Philippines - The Province of Cebu will be formally installed as member of the Inter-Islands Tourism Policy (ITOP) Forum now composed of nine island provinces in East Asia.

Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia is set to attend as speaker on the 15th ITOP forum to be held on September 28 to 30 in Jeju, Korea under the theme of “MICE Industry and Tourism Vision”.

This is one of the three trips Garcia set within this month, which includes her trip to Japan and Malaysia.

Garcia attended the same forum last year in Sanya, Hainan Province, China where she promoted Cebu as a tourism destination.

The governor said it was during the forum that she indicated her interest to become a member when ITOP asked if Cebu would be interested.

“As a recognized top island destination, we will also be creating a positive image for our country which is the Philippines,” she said.

ITOP was founded in 1997 with the attendance of only four provincial governments including Bali, Indonesia; Hainan, China; Okinawa, Japan and Jeju, South Korea.

This Forum is aimed at exploring the world tourism market jointly by bringing together islands that have cultural sympathy and similar tourism structure and policy.

“We highlight our God-given strengths and what we have also done about what we are blessed with in the hope that we will be doing our share to promote our country as well. It will now be Cebu, an island in the Philippines,” the governor said.

Members of ITOP are Jeju, Korea; Okinawa, Japan; Southern Province, Sri Lanka; Canary Islands, Spain; Hainan, China; Bali, Indonesia; Zanzibar, Tanzania; Hawaii, USA and Phuket, Thailand.

Garcia has also been invited by Tsuneishi Group President Hitoshi Kono to attend the annual Miroku Fiesta on September 10, 2011 in Japan.

“Last year I was really so embarrassed to have accepted and yet I have to decline at the last minute because of other very, very pressing engagement. So I had to make up for it this year,” Garcia said.

Garcia who has always been invited since 2007, said Tsuneishi is one of the biggest employers in the province and has put Cebu in the world map by being one of the biggest shipping companies in the entire world.

On September 20, Garcia shall also be the VIP speaker on sustainable economic growth during the South East Asian SME Forum in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Garcia said that she also accepted the same invitation to speak last year and then at the last minute she had to cancel because of a commitment here in the province.

“I cannot say no anymore karon because imagine they would have felt bad again to insist on inviting me again this year. So moadto nalang gyud ko ani,” Garcia told reporters. — (FREEMAN)