CEBU can maximize its potential as a leisure destination in Asia if it has more entertainment facilities, such as theme parks, a tourism official said.
Department of Tourism (DOT) 7 Director Patria Aurora Roa said the presence of family-oriented theme parks, like Hong Kong Disneyland, would entice the market for leisure-seeking tourists.
"Hong Kong has Disneyland, Singapore has Sea World. These countries have their own good theme parks. In Cebu, we don't have one," Roa said in an interview.
"A theme park can attract the whole family to come, whether from the Philippines or abroad" she added.
Roa said that while the idea of a theme park is feasible, the availability of land for such investment remains to be a huge concern.
SRP
She said the 290-hectare South Road Properties (SRP) would be a good site but investors would have to determine first the viability of establishing an entertainment center there, "similar to Disneyland or Sea World."
"It should be a world-class theme park with a Filipino touch," she said. She added that this type of theme park should be "unique" yet at par with international standards.
It should be more than carnival type development with only ferris wheels and carousels as amenities.
Roa admitted, though, that having a world class theme park in Cebu "would not be happening soon" as such facility would involve a large investment from a private developer.
It is the role of the local government units and the Cebu Investments and Promotions Center to invite potential investors for this project and provide certain incentives, she said.
More attractions
Roa echoed the statement made earlier by Shangri-la's Mactan Island Resort and Spa general manager Timothy Wright that there is a need for Cebu to develop more attractions, aside from the traditional tourism itineraries like cultural and heritage tours.
Although Cebu - as a resort destination - is primarily known for white beaches, furniture products, rich cultural heritage and festivities, it has nothing more to offer to visiting tourists, Wright had said.
Roa said the province "with its inviting tropical environment" could be a potential destination for a "smaller" Disneyland-type of theme park.
Enchanted Kingdom Inc. earlier expressed interest to expand in Cebu and invest in a facility that will cater to the Visayas and Mindanao markets.
However, Enchanted Kingdom Inc. president and chairman Mario Mamon said while the company considers Cebu as an attractive area for a theme park, it has to defer the plan as the project would not be "an easy investment."
"But we will continue to study the market and see what happens," he said earlier. (MMM)
