All tourism roads will be leading to Cebu come September as the province hosts the 2011 East Asia Tourism Forum or EATOF, one of the biggest gatherings of tourism stakeholders around the East Asia region.
Cebu Vice Governor Agnes Magpale said the gathering will be attended by 11 governors from various provinces around East Asia, including Russia, and hundreds of tourism stakeholders from around the world. EATOF will discuss academic and governmental concerns in the promotion and sustainability of inter-regional partnership for tourism growth.
Those coming to the Forum shall include the governors of Gangwon, Korea; Sarawak, Malaysia; Yogyogarta, Indonesia; Tottori, Japan; Tuv, Mongolia; and Quang Ninh, Vietnam all of which have already confirmed their participation in the 2011 EATOF in Cebu this September.
The other governors have yet to confirm their participation but Cebu ViceGovernor Agnes Magpale said there is a big chance that everybody will come, including the governor of Primovsky, Russia.
The EATOF, which is a yearly event, showcases the East Asian Tourism Forum exhibits, among others.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Turkish envoy to push Turkey-RP flight
CEBU CITY – Turkish Ambassador to the Philippines Adnan Basaga said he will convince leading airline operators in Turkey to start operating routes between their country and the Philippines upon finalization of the Civil Aviation Agreement (CAA) between the two nations.
“I’ll do my best to convince Turkish airlines to fly to the Philippines. We are now in the stage of finalizing (the CAA) but the most important part is to fulfill the CAA and then build on the commercial talks between airline companies,” he said in an interview.
He bared Turkish airline representatives have already started visiting Manila to explore feasible flight opportunities between Turkey and the Philippines.
One positive outcome of the visit, Basaga noted, was the establishment of a Turkish airline ticketing office in Manila.
“Turkish airlines fly to most key destinations in the world but not to the Philippines. I see great opportunities here, especially in the facilities. The Filipinos can use the hub-point of Istanbul as a gateway to Europe through direct flights from Manila,” the ambassador said.
“It doesn’t matter whether its Philippine airlines or Turkish airlines that comes first but as long as there is a direct flight. I hope that before I leave the Philippines, I will receive a Turkish airline in (my office in) Manila,” he added.
Basaga said Turkey could very well capitalize on the growing tourism industry of the Philippines and opening a direct or even a chartered flight here could jumpstart more economic cooperation between the two countries.
“Tourism, in this day, is one of the main keys in putting nations together and understanding each other,” he said.
In the area of tourism, Cebu plays many advantages, said Basaga, citing the hospitality of Cebuanos, good command of the English language and the availability of international flights here.
Cebu’s tourist destinations, especially its hotel resorts, which is open the whole year round, is another bonus.
“In Turkey, we have beaches but we have snow up to seven months a year,” Basaga said, indicating that Cebu can cater to Turkey’s growing leisure market travelers.
On the other hand, Cebuanos, and Filipinos in general, can benefit on Turkey for religious tourism or as a site for Christian pilgrimages.
Although 98 percent of Turks are Muslims, the country boasts of several Christian churches, including the famous historical site of the House of the Virgin Mary, said Basaga.
Citing official records, he said Turkey, with a 78 million population, hosts 22 million tourists every year, making it one of the world’s top 10 foreign tourist destinations. #
.
“I’ll do my best to convince Turkish airlines to fly to the Philippines. We are now in the stage of finalizing (the CAA) but the most important part is to fulfill the CAA and then build on the commercial talks between airline companies,” he said in an interview.
He bared Turkish airline representatives have already started visiting Manila to explore feasible flight opportunities between Turkey and the Philippines.
One positive outcome of the visit, Basaga noted, was the establishment of a Turkish airline ticketing office in Manila.
“Turkish airlines fly to most key destinations in the world but not to the Philippines. I see great opportunities here, especially in the facilities. The Filipinos can use the hub-point of Istanbul as a gateway to Europe through direct flights from Manila,” the ambassador said.
“It doesn’t matter whether its Philippine airlines or Turkish airlines that comes first but as long as there is a direct flight. I hope that before I leave the Philippines, I will receive a Turkish airline in (my office in) Manila,” he added.
Basaga said Turkey could very well capitalize on the growing tourism industry of the Philippines and opening a direct or even a chartered flight here could jumpstart more economic cooperation between the two countries.
“Tourism, in this day, is one of the main keys in putting nations together and understanding each other,” he said.
In the area of tourism, Cebu plays many advantages, said Basaga, citing the hospitality of Cebuanos, good command of the English language and the availability of international flights here.
Cebu’s tourist destinations, especially its hotel resorts, which is open the whole year round, is another bonus.
“In Turkey, we have beaches but we have snow up to seven months a year,” Basaga said, indicating that Cebu can cater to Turkey’s growing leisure market travelers.
On the other hand, Cebuanos, and Filipinos in general, can benefit on Turkey for religious tourism or as a site for Christian pilgrimages.
Although 98 percent of Turks are Muslims, the country boasts of several Christian churches, including the famous historical site of the House of the Virgin Mary, said Basaga.
Citing official records, he said Turkey, with a 78 million population, hosts 22 million tourists every year, making it one of the world’s top 10 foreign tourist destinations. #
.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Russia 'good' market for the Philippines
CEBU CITY – The potentials of Russia as a niche market of Cebu was confirmed by a 14-member trade mission led by the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) and the Cebu Consulate of the Russian Federation.
"The Russian market is waiting to be tapped. They are ready because they have the money," said Armi Lopez Garcia, Honorary Consul of the Russian Federation in Cebu.
CCCI past President Anastacio Muntuerto said the delegation was able to verify that the Russians have high spending capacities, making them a potential market for tourism and trade.
"We have never seen that much luxury cars—Rolls Royce, Bentleys- pass by before. It only means people in Russia are rich and they spend a lot. That makes them a good market," he said.
The Russians, too, have much to learn from the "happy go lucky" nature of Filipinos, Muntuerto added.
"People there are warm but they need to learn how to smile. That's the strength of Filipinos because we are a happy people," he said in an interview.
Garcia said the exhibit proved that prices of goods are not an issue among Russians.
She said even when the prices of her fashion accessories went up three to four times, Russian buyers did not show any disapproval.
"They love anything made of pearls and shells," she added.
But she said that while Russians are "not very price sensitive," they place high regard for quality and creativity, which she said are the competitive advantages of Philippine-made products.
In the same development, Francis Monera, CCCI immediate past president said while Russia poses strong potentials for business and leisure, the challenge still lies in educating the market about tourism and trade opportunities in the Philippines, particularly in Cebu.
He raised the need to create business linkages between local firms and their Russian counterparts.
"We need to study their market through proper matching and establish more tie-ups," he said. #
.
"The Russian market is waiting to be tapped. They are ready because they have the money," said Armi Lopez Garcia, Honorary Consul of the Russian Federation in Cebu.
CCCI past President Anastacio Muntuerto said the delegation was able to verify that the Russians have high spending capacities, making them a potential market for tourism and trade.
"We have never seen that much luxury cars—Rolls Royce, Bentleys- pass by before. It only means people in Russia are rich and they spend a lot. That makes them a good market," he said.
The Russians, too, have much to learn from the "happy go lucky" nature of Filipinos, Muntuerto added.
"People there are warm but they need to learn how to smile. That's the strength of Filipinos because we are a happy people," he said in an interview.
Garcia said the exhibit proved that prices of goods are not an issue among Russians.
She said even when the prices of her fashion accessories went up three to four times, Russian buyers did not show any disapproval.
"They love anything made of pearls and shells," she added.
But she said that while Russians are "not very price sensitive," they place high regard for quality and creativity, which she said are the competitive advantages of Philippine-made products.
In the same development, Francis Monera, CCCI immediate past president said while Russia poses strong potentials for business and leisure, the challenge still lies in educating the market about tourism and trade opportunities in the Philippines, particularly in Cebu.
He raised the need to create business linkages between local firms and their Russian counterparts.
"We need to study their market through proper matching and establish more tie-ups," he said. #
.
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