Monday, March 26, 2007 City dad bats for tourism body
TO HELP make Cebu’s tourism a “major revenue-generating” industry, a city councilor proposed to create the Cebu City Tourism Office, a body that will be tasked to implement tourism-related policies.
Councilor Arsenio Pacaña proposed to create the tourism office as an implementing arm of the projects of the City Government and the Cebu City Tourism Commission “in order to ensure a sustainable tourism industry in the city through proper implementation of the commission’s policies and programs.”
Specifically, the proposed tourism office will be tasked to conserve, promote and implement plans, projects and activities related to tourism.
The body, which will operate directly under the city mayor’s office, will be managed by a full-time executive who will act as the city’s tourism officer.
“Undoubtedly, the creation of the local government unit-based tourism office manned by a tourism officer will promote the National Government’s thrust of transforming the tourism industry in Cebu into a major dollar-earning industry,” said Pacaña, chairman of the council’s committee on tourism.
But in an earlier interview, the councilor admitted that the City needs to do more that just create a tourism office if it wants to attract more tourists to the city, especially the Europeans.
Highlight
A gathering of European businessman in Manila last week highlighted the need for Cebu City to clean the city’s environs, historical sites and old buildings and streets.
An official of the French embassy said some parts of the city are dirty and old historical buildings need renovation and repainting.
The council referred the “Ordinance creating the Cebu City Tourism Office under the office of the city mayor” to the committee on laws during its session last Wednesday.
Model
Pacaña envisions the body to be a “model” tourism office that is responsive and effective in showcasing the city as a primary tourist destination.
He is hopeful that it can efficiently and effectively implement and regulate the standards required for sustainable tourism in the city.
Revenues
Pacaña lamented that the absence of an appropriate office that can focus on tourism-oriented work is hampering the city’s efforts to generate revenues from tourism.
If the ordinance is approved, the tourism office will have administrative, licensing and regulatory functions.
It will also be tasked to conduct research, planning and development of tourism promotion plans and carry out promotional and special events related to tourism. (LCR)
