SUMMER in the south can’t be more exciting as Davao City will hold its biggest summer event to date, Visit Davao Summer Festival (VDSF) 2018.
Formerly known as Visit Davao Fun Sale, VDSF intends to make Davao Region as the top tourist destination in summer and bring summer experience to a whole new level as it lengthens summer with its 10-week season-long celebration and widens its coverage regionwide, thus the theme: "The Longfest and Widefest."
“When we presented this to the tourism council of Davao City, we agree to do away from event name Visit Davao Fun Sale and rebrand it to Visit Davao Summer Festival and we think that the latter is more encompassing and catchy,” Benjamin Lizada, chair of Davao Fun Sale Execom and President of Restaurant Owners Association of Davao City, said.
He shared that what’s more special of VDSF 2018 than the previous years is that the summer tourism campaign will stretch to a 10-week season-long celebration starting April and will cover more areas within Davao Region namely Davao City, Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur, Island Garden City of Samal, Davao del Norte, Compostela Valley, Mati City and the province of Davao Oriental.
“When we first launch this we focused in Davao but the succeeding years, we went beyond, but this year we widened our coverage, we now include the Compostela Valley,” he said.
VDSF is initiated by both the government and private sector. It is led by Davao Fun Sale Execom Inc, a non-stock, non-profit organization with members representing the tourism stakeholders.
“We have P14-million budget for this year’s VDSF,” Lizada said.
On its fifth year, over 32 fun-filled and exciting sports and adventures, cultural and arts and party and leisure activities are lined-up this VDSF 2018 with enticing discounts in beaches and islands, airlines, hotels and restaurants, shopping malls and spa wellness centers.
Here is the list of some of the summer fest’s highlights:
The Mt. Apo Sky and Vertical Race and Mt. Apo Boulder Face Challenge; Region-wide Davao Dive Fest ; Region-wide Davao Climb Caravan; Visit Davao Aquathlon; Visit Davao Samal Marathon and the Air Asia DurianMan Cross Channel Triathlon; Ultimate Frisbee Invitational Tournament; National Skimboarding Competition; Pujada Bay Festival; Kadagayaan Festival and Kabilin Festival.
To date, VDSF’s co-presentors include the Department of Tourism, Tourism Promotions Board, the City Government of Davao, Air Asia, Bonamine, Cebu Pacific, Flanax and Tempra.
The VDSF launching was held on February 16 at the Marco Polo Hotel–Davao with Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo and new tourism regional director Antonio Fernando Blanco.