PREPARE for the one million to ten million Chinese tourists.
Assistant Secretary George Soriano said this amid negotiations between China and the Philippines to bring at least a million to ten million tourists a year to the country.
Soriano, who was in Cebu on Saturday for the “Biyaya ng Pagbabago” activity, said that once this plan would push through, the country’s economy and tourism industry would really boom especially when the Chinese tourists would really start to arrive.
“May initial plan. Kun matuloy yung pangako ng China to bring one to ten million tourists in a year. Ngayon inaayos pa. It’s part of the negotiations (There is an initial plan. If China will push through with its promise to bring one to ten million tourists in a year … but it’s still being ironed out. It’s part of the negotiations),” he said.
Director Shalimar Tamano of the Department of Tourism in Central Visayas (DOT-7) said that the region had been ready for the influx of tourists especially from those coming from China.
“Yes, Central Visayas is ready for that,” Tamano said.
In Central Visayas, it will not be hard serving more tourists from China since the number of the tourist coming from the said country has been increasing since last year said Tamano.
Based on their records, Tamano said that tourists coming from China increased and so is the number of tourists coming from Taiwan.
“Ang Chinese ni jump to 75 percent (last year),” Tamano said.
From 244,925 in 2016, the Chinese tourists increased to 429,306 last year.
But South Korean tourists are still the top foreign tourists with 895,776 Koreans visiting Central Visayas last year.
Japan to third spot of foreign tourists visiting the region with China taking the second spot.
Other foreign tourists who visited Central Visayas last year are those from the United States of America, Taiwan, Australia, Germany, France, United Kingdom and Canada.
Tamano said there would also be a need to add more security with the expectation of the influx of tourists this year especially in the region.
“Ang ato lang pa augment sa security. More police presence and visibility,” he said.
He also encouraged the public to be mindful of their energy use so that there would not be any power interruptions in the summer when the tourists would come to visit.
“Kay dungan dungan sad ang paggamit sa aircon since it’s summer. We have to be mindful of the energy,” said Tamano.
He also cited the construction of the airport in Sta. Fe town in Bantayan Island as one of the infrastructure that could benefit the tourism industry in the northern town.
Bantayan Island is one of the top destinations in Cebu.