A CITY councilor is proposing to add welcome arches in Davao City’s boundaries in a bid to help boost tourism in the city.
“We will put welcome arches sa mga entrance and exit boundary points sa (in) Davao para (so that) that’s part of the tourist destination,” Davao City Councilor Al Ryan Alejandre said in an ambush interview, May 25.
The planned arches are just one of the plans to improve Davao City’s tourism and to transform the city to be a Meetings, Incentive Travel, Conventions, and Exhibitions (Mice) capital in the region.
Alejandre together with the Department of Tourism - Davao Region (DOT-Davao), Davao CityTourism Operations Office (CTOO) different hotels, event organizers, travel and tour agencies, academe, and other members of the Tourism Council have had their post-evaluation meeting for Mice last May 20.
Davao City hosted Micecon 2023, the first time for the city to host the event after ten years.
Aside from adding welcome arches, the council plans to add and revisit street signages around the city, improve the aesthetics and ventilation of Mice venues, and a possible adding of toll fees on certain areas in Datu Salumay, Baganihan, Buda, Gumitan and portions of Marilog ug Malamba areas.
“Naa’y mga things to improve, for example ang venue sa gawas, medyo kailangan og mga electric fan, just a minimal [improvement] lang,” Alejandre said.
“Naa may mga (We only got) small provisions, but for the entire [micecon] activity, we got a good review, good comments, and good evaluation,” he added.
The councilor said the Tourism Council’s plan will be proposed to the City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte.
“That’s a part of a plan, we will propose it to the Mayor... basi kung need og ordinansya for the requirement of the DPWH, so let’s see how it goes,” Alejandre said. ICE
