AROUND 7,000 to 10,000 foreign and domestic tourists are expected to visit Mati City in Davao Oriental in time for the annual Summer Frolic Party and Visit Davao Fun Sale (VDFS) 2017 water sports events slated next month, a situation seen to strengthen the city’s position as the region’s emerging summer destination.
Mati City admin officer Dashiel Indelible said in Wednesday’s Habi at Kape media forum in Abreeza Ayala Mall, Davao City that weeks before the actual events, resorts and hotel accommodations in Mati especially those located near Dahican Beach are already fully-booked.
“The City Government of Mati has earmarked nearly P1 million for these summer events,” he said adding that last summer, for Summerfrolic alone, 7,000 tourists visited the city.
This year’s Summer Frolic Party is set on April 21 to 22 while VDFS events like the 1st Amihan National Skimboarding Competition, 1st Ultimate Frisbee Invitational Tournament, and National Invitational Beach Volleyball Tournament are slated on April 21 to 23; April 22 to 23; and May 19 to 21, respectively.
Department of Tourism (DOT)-Davao regional director Roberto Alabado III said his agency allocated some P2 million for the Mati events, an additional feature of VDFS 2017. The whole budget for nearly two-month tourism sale reaches some P13 million, P7 million of which is from DOT while the rest is from its partner organizations and local government units (LGUs).
“We partnered with Mati now because we believe that tourism activities like these will further catapult the city in the tourism map and will benefit the hotels, resorts, restaurants, pasalubong centers, the rest of the private sectors operating in the city and the community as a whole,” Alabado said.
More tourists, inadequate accommodations
Indelible reported that presently Mati has only limited DOT-accredited accommodation establishments.
“We have some 500 comfortable rooms. But excluded in the count are those lodges, inn and other resorts which has yet to secure accreditation from the tourism department,” he said adding that other private resorts and houses has opened their doors to accommodate visitors.
The city has nearly 20 operating resorts. Indelible added that some visitors, especially the millennials opted to do camping.
“Also, we expect that half of our expected visitors are only here for day tours,” Indelible said.
Admitting that the city is far from ready in terms of infrastructure and accommodation given the bulk of visitors, Alabado said the private players need to upgrade its facilities and invest in putting up more infrastructures.
This was echoed by VDFS execom president Benjie Lizada underscoring the private and government sector to boost partnership.
Upcoming investments, plans
In a recent report, local economic investments promotion officer Tanya Virginia Rabat-Tan, bared five resort and hotel investors have expressed interest in the city.
“Mati City will be very busy this summer, we expedite our plans especially on security and waste management,” Indelible said.
He underscored that for Dahican Beach, the city government focused on four concerns: water utilization, environment issues, aesthetics and beautification and waste management.