Exec to push for new events, community-based tourism

MENDOZA

THE Lapu-Lapu Tourism Office is planning to create new attractions for the Kadaugan sa Mactan celebrations and repromote community-based tourism to boost the the city’s economy.

Hembler Mendoza, Lapu-Lapu City Tourism Officer, said he would coordinate with the Kadaugan sa Mactan committee on these plans, which included the holding of plays about Datu Lapu-Lapu leading to the April reenactment at the Mactan Shrine

This is the city’s tourism office’s way to take advantage of the expected increase in tourists in Cebu with the reported 200 flights per day accommodated by the Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA).

“This is due to the creation and opening of more domestic and international flights to and from Mactan-Cebu International Airport,” said Mendoza.

He also learned that on the MCIA report that the airport is currently handling 45 international flights and 139 domestic flights, making MCIA one of the busiest airports in Southeast Asia.

He said he was also expecting more dollar earners to spend their money in the city with the increase in the strength of the dollar over the peso.

Aside from that, he said hotel occupancy had been around 90 percent since December, and this trend would like to last until the summer.

He said that he would propose to the Kadaugan committee that a new attraction or a special edition be made, such as a play of the history of Lapu-Lapu and not just limited to the Battle of Mactan.

“Para mahibaw-an gyud sa kabatan-onan ang kinatibuk-an ug ang tinuod nga kasaysayan labi na kadtong dili kaayo mobasa og mga history (So that the youth would really know the real story of Lapu-Lapu especially those who don’t read history),” he said.

He said the play would be scheduled to be included in the weeklong activities, which included the food festival, leading to the Kadaugan sa Mactan event.

Aside from that, he said he was also looking at re-promoting the community-based tourism sites in Olango Island such as the culinary bike tour, Asinan Eco Park, Bird Watching, eating at the floating restaurants, Mangrove trekking and others.

Mendoza added that these activities would surely bring economic boost to the city and the future developments that would further bring in investors.