[ Manila Bulletin Online ] August 10, 2008
By MALOU M. MOZO and MARS W. MOSQUEDA JR.
CEBU CITY – An official from the Department of Tourism (DoT) yesterday said industry stakeholders are banking on the Cebu-Bohol tour package as the main twin-city destination of choice among foreign tourists.
"Not every attraction is a destination but the Cebu-Bohol package has all the components to make it both an attraction and a destination," said DoT Undersecretary for Tourism Planning and Promotions Eduardo Jarque Jr.
Jarque said Cebu, being the tourism gateway of Central Philippines, is a shopping and entertainment destination among foreign guests while Bohol is a haven for eco-tours. Both provinces, he said, are top beach resort destinations in the country today.
Cebu and Bohol’s tourism landscapes have grown to be more dynamic. Jarque said accessibility from these provinces to the international market is expected to become more robust with the entry of more chartered flights from Cebu to other Asian destinations as well as the scheduled opening of the Panglao International Airport in 2010.
But more than increased accessibility and the opening of more hotel room accommodations in the coming years, he underscored the readiness of the Cebuanos and Boholanos to accept the influx of more foreign tourists.
This is evident with the strong private-public partnership displayed among tourism stakeholders here, Jarque said.
"Never have I seen the private sector and the community been so responsive to tourism," he said, lauding in particular, the Cebu Provincial Government–led Suroy-Suroy Sugbo that has brought huge interest among foreigners and locals to visit the countryside.
"Cebu and Bohol have the formula where tourists are treated as guests and this will certainly sustain the industry," he told reporters yesterday following the 888 News Forum second year anniversary celebration at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino.
Driven by the optimism in the tourism potentials of Cebu and Bohol, Jarque bared this twin-city package will be highlighted during DoT’s sales mission trips to Vietnam, Paris, and St. Petersburg and Moscow in Russia slated next month.
He also disclosed the DoT, spearheaded by Tourism Secretary Ace Durano, have already started compiling a report that will highlight the achievements of Cebu and Bohol in the country’s tourism industry, as well as pinpoint other untapped potentials.
