THE advisory warning US citizens against travel to southern Cebu due to threats of kidnapping will hurt the developing tourism attractions in the south, tourism players said.
The local government units (LGUs) “whose tourism products (that) are still gaining traction will lose their momentum,”Enrico Monsato, Bluewater Resorts marketing communications officer, said in an interview yesterday.
The south of Cebu is a flourishing tourism corridor known for canyoneering, whale shark watching and scuba diving, among other water activities.
It covers Dalaguete, Alcoy, Boljoon, Oslob and Santander on the eastern coast and Samboan, Alegria, Badian, Moalboal and Dumanjug on the western side.
Total tourism arrivals in southern Cebu stood at 43,143 tourists from January to July this year, according to the latest data of the Department of Tourism (DOT) 7.
Of the total arrivals, 13,347 were foreign tourists.
The US Embassy has alerted US citizens that terrorist groups are planning to kidnap foreigners frequenting the areas around Dalaguete and Santander towns, and Sumilon Island across Oslob.
Quick response
Tourism stakeholders, meanwhile, urge the government to address the matter “right away.”
“Cebu has always been known to be safe especially for tourists. This is an isolated case but should be taken up with utmost urgency,” said tourism advocate Jonathan Jay Aldeguer.
Edilberto Mendoza, the president of Cebu Association of Tour Operators said the security warning can hurt arrivals from US, although this market does not account for majority of Cebu’s visitors.
“The effect might not be that significant but still our PNP officials need to be vigilant on this,” he said. “There is always a threat of terrorism anywhere in the Philippines.”
The US is Cebu’s third biggest source market after Korea and Japan. Arrivals from this market grew by 14.92 percent from 81,632 to 93,810 in the first seven months this year.
Sumilon’s statement
Bluewater Sumilon Island Resort has assured its guests and the public that the resort remains safe and secure amid threats of terrorism.
“It is business as usual,” said Monsato.
The resort has not received booking cancellations so far, he said.
“We take the safety of our guests very seriously. Our security personnel at Sumilon Island are in a constant state of readiness to ensure that all our guests remain safe and secure. To help support our own security detail, the Philippine Coast Guard has also maintained a detachment in the island since August of this year... The Philippine Navy and Air Force have deployed patrol boats and choppers in the area as extra precaution and to ensure public safety,” the resort said in a statement.
Rhyz Buac, the general manager of Bluewater Resorts, said there is nothing to worry about as Sumilon Island, where their resort is located, is tightly secured.
Bluewater Sumilon Resort is one of the popular tourism properties in the south. It is frequented by the locals and foreign travelers from Korea, Japan and China.
Monsato said the resort officials will visit the Provincial Tourism Office tomorrow to discuss with Capitol officials how they will counter the negative effects of the security warning.
From PTO
In a separate interview, Provincial Tourism Office head Boboi Costas said travel warnings usually hurt tourism.
Costas was in Santander yesterday to verify reports of the Abu Sayyaf’s presence in the south.
He said tourism stakeholders can monitor, verify reports and be conscious of their surroundings.
“I’m sure our authorities are doing something,” Costas said.