[ Manila Bulletin Online ] June 10, 2008
By MALOU M. MOZO
CEBU CITY — In order to spur tourism activities in the Visayas, the Cebu Association of Tour Operators (CATO) is bent on promoting the "twin-city" destination package to maximize the potentials of two neighboring provinces by combining them in a single tour product.
The "twin-city" combination packages include Cebu-Bohol, Dumaguete-Siquijor, Ilo-ilo-Bacolod, and Cagayan de Oro-Camiguin.
"We chose the two cities based on proximity and access points, where we can enter in one and exit in the other," said Alice Queblatin, former CATO president.
"These ‘twin destinations’ must co-exist," she added.
Queblatin said this innovative tour product signifies CATO’s commitment to assist the Department of Tourism (DoT) in its efforts to market the country as a tourism destination in Asia.
With the government branding Central Visayas as the "tourism gateway" of the country, Queblatin said Cebu is readily identified as the major entry point in reaching these destinations.
Cebu, as a major hub in Central Visayas, has all the necessary infrastructure including air and sea ports, as well as its good mix of business and leisure hotels, food and retail outlets, among others, she said.
Queblatin said accessibility in this "twin-city" destination package is either through the roll-on, roll off (Ro-ro) routes or by airplane.
Under the Ro-ro system, vehicle owners drive their passengers on to a ferry, stay on board for the duration of the voyage and then drive them off after reaching at their destination.
In this regard, Queblatin noted the need for tourism stakeholders to aggressively push for more accommodation facilities to cater to the growing passenger traffic.
She also called on the local government units to improve their seaport and airport terminals in the provinces.
Butuan, for example, is starting to "pick up" from the development and has begun improving its terminal facilities, she added.
Queblatin also mentioned that since Cato and DoT’s promotion of the "twin-city" destination package, requests for provincial tours among local and foreign tourists have increased significantly.
Tourism Secretary Joseph "Ace" Durano earlier announced the DoT is expecting visitor arrivals to the country to increase to 3.5 million tourists by year-end.
Durano said the bulk of DOT’s proposed P1.4 billion-budget this year will go to tourism promotions, both domestic and international.
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