|
Tuesday, September 30, 2003
More China tourists seen with new Cathay flights
By Cherry T. Lim
CEBU can expect more tourists from China with both the government and the private sector working to make it easier and more affordable for the Chinese to visit the island-province.
Cathay Pacific Airways manager for Cebu Lawrence Fong said Cathay would mount three times weekly flights from Beijing to Hong Kong beginning November.
“Two of these flights will have a good connection to Cebu,” he said.
Fong said this would have the effect of lowering the cost of travel from Beijing, China to Cebu.
Over the weekend, Consul General Wu Lianqi of the People’s Republic of China had revealed that for about the same price of the round-trip airfare from Beijing to Cebu, Chinese nationals could already travel to four other destinations in Asia—like Malaysia, Vietnam, Hong Kong and Thailand, “including accommodations and meals.”
Cathay’s Fong explained that at present the Hong Kong-based carrier doesn’t fly the Beijing-Hong Kong route.
Its competitors who do fly the route charge clients of Cathay on the Hong Kong-Cebu route a premium because the rivals, like Dragonair or China Eastern, keep a portion of what they charge as their fee for the service of selling the ticket for Cathay.
But with Cathay serving the whole route, from Beijing to Cebu, this arrangement would change.
More carriers on the Beijing-Hong Kong route would also result in rivals competing to lower ticket prices.
Fong said starting March, the frequency of Cathay’s flights on the Hong Kong-Beijing route would be increased to daily.
In March, Cathay would also begin a daily service on the Hong Kong-Shanghai route, as well as a three-times-a-week service on the Hong Kong-Xiamen route.
At the Department of Tourism, Regional Director Patria Aurora Roa said: “We are trying to get China and India tourists (so we are) relaxing visa requirements for these two countries.”
Consul Wu said another reason why few Chinese visit Cebu is that very few people, including China’s high-ranking government officials, have heard of it.
(September 30, 2003 issue)
Write letter to the editor. Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board. Click here. |
|
[ return
to top ]
[ home
]
|
LOCAL NEWS
BUSINESS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFESTYLE
FEATURE
SUPERBALITA
WEEKEND
|
