[ Manila Bulletin Online ] August 13, 2008
By MALOU M. MOZO
CEBU CITY – Buoyed by the booming retail sector here, the National Association of Independent Travel Agencies (Naitas) will jumpstart the promotion of "shopping tourism".
Naitas pesident Angel Ramos Bognot said "shopping tourism" is currently the buzz word in the industry, thus a shopping holiday is being pushed as a venue to showcase local and foreign products and services that cater to the influx of foreign tourists.
"Shopping tourism can attract all markets. It can generate a lot of publicity and promotion as well as provide as a come-on to tourists but it needs to be supported by the different stakeholders from the private and public sectors," Bognot said.
Cebu’s booming retail industry, signified by the entry of several global retail brands and companies, gives the province the edge in tapping this emerging tourism segment.
Bognot added the mutual relationship between the private and the public sector here fueled its growth as a progressive province, thus the idea of a shopping holiday is also seen as an attractive proposition for Cebu’s tourism industry.
Earlier, Tourism Undersecretary for Planning and Promotions Eduardo Jarque Jr. zeroed in on the strong potential of Cebu as a shopping haven especially for Indian and Japanese tourists because it complements with the province as a leisure destination particularly its beach and diving resorts.
In institutionalizing the promotion of "shopping tourism", Bognot bared the importance of creating a permanent trade bonanza or a shopping holiday, which will require the participation of major malls and commercial shopping destinations and even flea markets and bazaars.
Other business modules that the "shopping tourism" can capitalize on are shopping brochures that will guide tourists in key shopping areas in the city.
The brochure will contain shopping destinations in Cebu with contact information, list of world class products produced by the province, support services such as transportation and communication, Department of Tourism information, as well as other tourism-based services such as spas, restaurants, museums, among others.
Cebu, being the "Queen City of the South," has historical and cultural tours that can also be injected to shopping activities that will be drafted by tour operators.
Bognot urged Naitas-Cebu and the Cebu Association of Tour Operators to come up with thematic packages that would merge shopping with other activities such as recreational, wellness, historical and cultural tours that are "segmentized" to the needs of the tourists and their budgets.
