AS THOUSANDS of destinations in the world compete to take advantage of the rising tourism industry, an aviation industry expert said Cebu should amplify its marketing efforts to attract more tourists and airlines to fly to the island.

Peter Harbison, executive director of Center for Asia Pacific Aviation (Capa), said events like the North Asia Low-Cost Carrier (LCC) Summit has spread the word about Cebu, particularly its gateway Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA).

“What we’re doing here is marketing the airport and creating awareness of it. Marketing efforts are really important. At the end of the day you need more airlines flying here,” he said.

Harbison said Cebu is still difficult to reach unless the traveler is in a country that has direct access to Cebu.

He urged all stakeholders to up the ante in marketing the island’s numerous natural assets to attract more tourists and propel demand for airlines to mount sustainable flights to Cebu.

“Once the airlines starts to fly here, there’s more connectivity, so the hub grows. But this takes a lot of marketing. Cebu is one of the literally thousands of destinations around the world that is competing for pretty much the same business,” he said.

Because it is a tough market, Harbison said stakeholders must focus on staying competitive and active in putting Cebu constantly on the radar of both foreign and domestic travelers.

“Your natural attractions are pretty amazing plus the history. Cebu has so many real different things and there are a lot of attractions that are unique globally. You’ve got to be very astute with your tourism marketing to make sure you can get those points across,” Harbison said.

Aside from hosting international events, he added that stakeholders should also tap social media platforms to promote the different tourist destinations of Cebu.

This is the first time that the Philippines, specifically Cebu played host to the 2019 Capa LCC North Asia Summit. The summit concluded on Tuesday, June 25. (JOB)