THE Davao City Tourism Operations Office (CTOO) is aiming for a 50% increase in tourist arrivals during the 2025 Kadayawan Festival.
Atty. Jonah Margarette F. Presto, officer-in-charge of the CTOO, said during the Kadayawan Media Launch on July 24 at Rogen Inn that they are targeting a significant jump from the 200,000 visitors recorded in August last year.
“Of course, we aim for a higher number of tourist arrivals for this year, as mentioned, we’ve prepared so much for this year’s Kadayawan, there have been changes, there is an evolution of the whole festival,” she said.
To support this goal, the private sector is boosting capacity and promotion. Gene C. Bangayan, co-chair of the Davao Mice (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) Board, said Davao now has 9,000 hotel beds available, thanks to new accommodations opening in time for the festival. Hotels are also launching special promotions to help increase bookings.
“We are selling Davao and Kadayawan Festival not only to our neighboring city but didto pod sa uban siyudad sa Pilipinas ug outside the Philippines (We’re promoting Davao and the Kadayawan Festival—not just to nearby cities, but across the Philippines and abroad)," she added.
Davao’s tourism stakeholders have also been actively participating in local and international expos. The city recently joined travel fairs organized by the Department of Tourism in Osaka, Tokyo, and Haneda, Japan, to attract more Japanese tourists.
Nicole Hao Bian Ledesma, President of the Davao Tourism Association (Data) and COO of Joji Ilagan International Schools, said the private sector is also rolling out food promos and discounts to attract both domestic and foreign visitors.
Data is developing a food discount card that will feature special offers from 40 local restaurants. In addition, food fairs and pop-up dining events are planned to enhance the festival experience.
Davao City Councilor Myrna Dalodo-Ortiz shared that they have invited the city’s sister cities abroad to take part in Kadayawan 2025. Confirmed participants include delegations from sister cities in China, Japan, and the United States.
To recall, CTOO reported 190,068 tourist arrivals in August 2024 and 178,555 in December. These increases were attributed to the Kadayawan Festival, the Ironman 70.3 event, and other simultaneous activities.
Overall, Davao recorded a 50 percent increase in tourist arrivals in 2024 compared to 1.2 million in 2023—growth that the CTOO credits to the city’s proactive and dynamic tourism initiatives. RGP