The newly opened boutique shop at Duty Free Philippines. (CDN PHOTO/VICTOR ANTHONY V. SILVA)
State-owned Duty Free Philippines (DFP) on Thursday opened a “destination boutique” featuring the region’s best local products in response to the growing number of foreign tourists visiting Cebu.
DFP inaugurated its newest outlet at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) departure store located at the gateway’s international departure area.
“There is an increase in tourist arrivals here in Cebu, especially for Koreans and the Chinese market. These are the products they are looking at and want to buy,” DFP Corp. (DFPC) Chief Operating Officer Vicente Pelagio Angala told reporters on the sidelines of the inauguration.
DFP’s newest boutique includes two sections designed to cater to the outbound shopping needs of international travelers.
The “Philippine Gifts and Souvenirs” section carries high-quality destination products, locally made souvenirs and gift items ideal for pasalubong, while the section called “A Taste of the Philippines” showcases a wide array of locally made food items and delicacies.
Nonfood items include jeepney figurines, hand-woven bags, guitars and shellcraft, while food items include dried mangoes, otap, polvoron and local wines.
Data from the Department of Tourism in Central Visayas showed that Cebu welcomed 711,644 Korean tourists from January to November 2016, up from 621,471 in the same period in 2015, making Korea the top market.
At fourth place, Chinese visitors also showed promise as their number grew by more than 50 percent to 86,544 tourists during the period covered in 2016 from 56,504 the year before.
The outlet belongs to the company’s roster of redeveloped Duty Free stores nationwide.
At present, Duty Free stores are present in 14 locations all over the country.
“Store development and product expansion are endeavors perennially on DFP’s priorities so as to not only be at par with international travel standards but also to boost customer traffic and sales,” Angala said.
He added that these efforts aim to augment the agency’s revenues in support of the Philippines’ tourism infrastructure programs and projects as DFP’s earnings accrue to the DOT.
In 2015, DFP generated $235 million in sales in its stores across the country.
Aside from its newest outlet, its other outlets are at the MCIA’s predeparture, international departure and international arrivals areas.