THE Hotel, Resort and Restaurant Association of Cebu (Hrrac) is optimistic that Cebu continues to attract visitors, following the recognition as Asia’s second best island it received from travel magazine Condé Nast Traveler.
Hrrac president Carlo Suarez said it put the tropical island province anew on the global tourism scene.
The hotelier was confident the recognition will further boost Cebu’s status among leading tourist markets in Asia.
“We have proven again that we are one of the best tourist destinations in Asia,” Suarez told SunStar Cebu. “It comes to show that with our efforts with the new airport, the new gateway that we have, it brings in more international tourists as well as local tourists enjoying Cebu as a destination.” After the opening of the Terminal 2 of Mactan-Cebu International Airport last year, optimism significantly rose that Cebu will see more visitors moving forward.
“We commend the government, the tourism agency in making Cebu to where we are now. We are in the map in Asia but also in the world,” said Suarez, who leads a group of hospitality players in Cebu.
Recently, Condé Nast Traveler hailed Cebu as the second best island in Asia in its 2019 Readers’ Choice Awards survey.
In its 32nd annual survey, Cebu and the Visayas Islands ranked second next to Boracay which came out as the best island in Asia after 600,000 registered voters decided on their top island destination choices.
In an earlier interview, Department of Tourism (DOT) 7 Director Shahlimar Tamano welcomed the recognition.
“This is a testament to the continued efforts of the men and women in the industry and all Cebuanos who work tirelessly to ensure that our tourists enjoy a pleasant and safe experience here,” he said.
“Rest assured, DOT 7 remains committed to developing and diversifying our tourism products, improving connectivity and capacitating our industry players to ensure sustainable development, and boosting our marketing programs in the country and abroad. We will also strengthen our collaboration with our local government unit partners, legislators, national government agencies, and all stakeholders to ensure a superb journey for all visitors in Cebu and Central Visayas,” he added. (JOB)