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Tuesday, December 28, 2004
Tourist groups book visits to Cebu in 2005
CEBU is expecting good things for 2005, beginning with the first two months of the year when groups of both local and foreign tourists are expected to descend on the island-province.
Cecile Sa-a of Blue Horizons Travel and Tours Inc. said she is expecting a group of 70 people to come in from Manila on Jan. 28.
She told Sun.Star that the group, handled by A International Travel and Tours, will comprise both international and domestic tourists.
In February, another group of 29 people are expected from an international school in Manila, the Mahatma Gandhi International School. They will spend about three days in Cebu. They will also make a day trip to Bohol.
Earlier, she already revealed that about 120 British tourists will arrive from a cruise ship, the ms Minerva, on Jan. 24.
Sa-a, who is also president of the Cebu Travel and Tours Association, expressed optimism about the prospects for tourism in 2005, saying, “I hope the Boardwalk will be finished right away.”
The 14-hectare Cebu Boardwalk is the anchor development of the as-yet-unnamed 50-hectare central business district that FF Cruz & Co. Inc. is developing in the Mandaue reclamation area. The project is expected to boost the tourism potential of the province.
Tourist center
The Cebu Boardwalk will contain a family theme park, mall, amphitheater park, marina and yacht club, marina promenade, tourist center, restaurant strip, and national fast-food chains. Among the features of the mall will be cinemas, an art gallery, Zen center, mini food court, retail shops, and a trade and exhibition center.
Department of Tourism Regional Director Patria Aurora Roa said the biggest festival of the province, the Sinulog, is also boosting tourism arrivals in January.
“There are charter flights—one each from San Francisco and Los Angeles—by PAL (Philippine Airlines),” she said.
These are in addition to the four charter flights mounted by the flag carrier from Japan this month.
To encourage more visits by the Japanese, Roa flew to Manila in the middle of this month to finalize the marketing program for Japan.
Roa explained that efforts to draw tourists from the United States and Europe will take a back seat for now, as the Philippines is targeting the short-haul routes.
Japan has traditionally been Cebu’s biggest source of foreign tourists.
But lately, Korea has been giving Japan stiff competition for the top post after local airline companies mounted direct flights from Korea to Cebu.
The tourism official said 2004 has been a better year than last year, with Cebu drawing 27.8 percent more foreign tourists in the first 10 months of this year compared to the same period last year.
She was hopeful about the prospects for 2005, saying: “As long as we have no incidents … no bird flu, Sars, we should be doing better in 2005. ”
On the other hand, the Hotel Resort and Restaurant Association of Cebu (Hrrac) has also done its part to promote Cebu as a tourism destination.
The group launched this month a cookbook containing recipes by the top chefs of hotels and restaurants in Cebu.
“We’re looking at it as a marketing tool to promote Cebu as a culinary destination,” Marita Arambulo, Hrrac vice president for resorts and assistant general manager of Costabella Tropical Beach Resort, has said.
Seat in coach
Lyndon Angan, Hrrac vice president for industry partners, also revealed initiatives to improve the experience of tourists already in Cebu.
Hrrac, together with local tour operator groups, launched the “seat-in-coach” tours, which offer tour services all year round rather than only during particular seasons. This consists of a daily tour in either of the two most requested areas—Cebu City and Mactan.
Angan said the group has also upgraded security in its properties, as well as trained security people, including the airport police, in customer service. (CTL)
(December 28, 2004 issue)
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