ASIA-PACIFIC Economic Development Cooperation (Apec) delegates have started visiting tourist destinations in Cebu and Bohol, a tourism official said in a press briefing on Tuesday, September 1.
Regional Director Rowena Montecillo, Department of Tourism (DOT)-Central Visayas, said they already recorded 49 tours with 107 delegates who bought the tour packages as of Monday, August 31.
“When you don’t hear complaints from the delegates, I think that is a good story to tell,” Montecillo said.
DOT is selling tour packages to delegates. The packages include a three-hour Cebu City tour, twin city tour that includes Mactan Island and Cebu City, and south countryside tour that is up to Carcar City featuring the vintage houses and local delicacies.
Montecillo said some delegates also tried snorkeling and island hopping in Mactan Island.
Bohol tour is also included among the nine tour packages offered to Apec delegates.
The DOT assists delegates in shopping around Cebu, in which the most famous product is local-made fashion accessories, Montecillo said.
She said each tour package ranges from P2,500 to P3,000 per person, which is P250,000 to P300,000 tour sales as of August 31.
She said the tour packages rates have been approved by the Apec-National Organizing Council.
Montecillo said the DOT already achieved half of its 4.4 million target tourist arrivals in Central Visayas, with 2.2 million tourist arrivals recorded.
She appealed to the local communities affected by road closures due to Apec meetings to sacrifice a little.
“A little sacrifice would mean a big investment for Cebu and the Philippines,” Montecillo said.
The DOT director said that before the Apec meetings, they have trained people in frontline services like front desks, taxi drivers and retailers.
“We want to be remembered as a destination with very warm people and very good frontliner, very good service,” Montecillo said. (Sunnex)