International events to perk up tourism sector next year

The Sinulog Festival is one of Cebu City events that will surely attract tourists to Cebu this year.

With the declaration of 2016 as “Visit the Philippines Again” year and the holding of some international events in Manila and Cebu, tourism players are optimistic about their prospects for next year.

Among the events that will be held in Manila are the Asean Tourism Forum (ATF) on January 17 to 23, Madrid Fusion in mid-year and Routes Asia, a gathering of airlines and aviation-related companies. Cebu will host the International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) a week after the annual Sinulog Festival in January.

“All in all, we are looking at a very productive 2016. We have enough events, mileage, and the focus is here,” tour operator Alice Queblatin said.

She said industry players have started aligning their plans, products and programs toward the international events.

“All of this will put the Philippines on the map. We already got very good exposure and mileage this year from our win in Miss Universe and from positive reviews by APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) delegations,” Queblatin said.

“We made a good mark on other countries with how we handled the summit. Both on cultural and political fronts, we have good exposure,” she added.

Queblatin said Cebu has set up a pavilion in Manila to offer post-conference tour packages to the delegates to these events.

“We will be presenting not just city tours but also tours all the way to the north and south of Cebu. We will be introducing Mactan and Cebu from a different perspective,” she said.

New attractions are being developed in Mactan, such as historical sites, in response to the increasing requests of tourists to tour the island. Craft shop tours are also being developed.

Queblatin said they are revising tours to avoid the worsening traffic problem and growing number of informal settlers in Metro Cebu.

“We don’t like to say what is bad. We don’t like to harp. What we do instead is repackage. We are adjusting our tours,” she said.

The newly announced tagline, “Cebu: Where the Heart Sings,” will be included in the collateral materials that will be presented and distributed during the ATF.

In the drawing board is a Cebu International Cruise Terminal to accommodate regular cruise liners. The port is proposed to be built in Liloan.

“We always have special cruises or scheduled cruises that drop anchor here. But, I don’t think Cebu will be a regular stop unless we have an international port or passenger terminal solely for cruise ships,” Queblatin said.

With or without the development of the new port, however, the Philippines will likely see a marked growth in tourism for 2016, especially with the regional economic integration taking effect.