WITH an expected upsurge in tourist and visitor arrivals for the Kadayawan Festival, Philippine Airlines will be deploying the brand-new Airbus A350-1000 for the Manila-Davao route.
“On August 14, we will have a special aircraft to be used on that day. This is our flagship A350-1000, the newest aircraft we have. PAL is the first to have this aircraft in Asia. This is a special aircraft we will be using for Kadayawan,” says Paolo Rene de Rivera, PAL’s VisMin Passenger Sales Manager.
The aircraft will be deployed to Davao-Manila routes on an August 14 flight to Davao City and an August 16 flight from Davao to Manila. This will cater to more people going to Davao for the festival and returning after Kadayawan.
The City Tourism Operations Office is targeting more tourists to come and visit Davao City during the Kadayawan Festival. They aim to meet or surpass the 250,000-tourist target for Kadayawan. Last year’s visitor arrivals were at 205,000 tourists.
Rivera says the new PAL aircraft will help achieve Davao City’s goal of ferrying more tourists. The A350-1000 has 382 seating capacity with 42 business class seats, 24 premium economy seats, and 316 seats for the economy class
“This aircraft is used only in the US, specifically to New York. So this is special for Davao,” Rivera said.
In a statement, Justin Warby, PAL Vice President for Sales and Distribution, said that “Kadayawan is one of the most vibrant celebrations of Filipino culture, and Davao holds a special place in the hearts of our kababayans and travelers alike.”
The Kadayawan Festival, celebrated every August, is one of the country’s largest festivals and draws large numbers of tourists to Davao City. City Tourism Operations head Willenito Tormis said they have added more events to make the festival louder, colorful, and inclusive.
“Ang goal nato is mas daghan ang maka-experience sa Kadayawan ug mas colorful pa ilang tribal houses, performances, mas daghan events karon, daghan ta gipangbalik na events,” Tormis said.
(Our goal is to draw in more visitors to experience Kadayawan, more colorful tribal houses, performances, and more events.)
P68 million is allotted for this year’s Kadayawan. There will be 26 events this time, compared to the 16 events last year.
Nicole Hao-Bian Ledesma, president of the Davao Tourist Association, said the private sector is also rolling out an unforgettable shopping and dining experience for tourists in time for the festival.
She said that the “Big KadayaOne Sale”, which will run from August 1 to 31, will offer discounts, freebies, and promos from hotels, resorts, malls, and restaurants.
“Our Kadayawan Big Sale. It’s a month-long campaign where tourists and locals alike can enjoy big discounts and special promotions when they shop, dine, and explore Davao,” Ledesma said. PIA DAVAO
