Travel News Philippines

Cebu gears up for East Asia Tourism Forum (EATOF) 2011

2011-07-30T10:04:00.000-07:00

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.

Turkish envoy to push Turkey-RP flight

2008-09-27T00:17:00.000-07:00

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. #

.

Russia 'good' market for the Philippines

2008-09-25T23:31:00.001-07:00

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. #

.

Korean visitors to Cebu to rise in 2009

2008-09-25T23:30:00.001-07:00

CEBU CITY – Although the number of Korean tourists in Cebu has decreased in the first half of this year, the consular office of Korea here is expecting the number to pick up with the rise of Koreans starting January next year.

Consul General to the Republic of Korea Augusto Go expressed his optimism given that the Korean-led, five-star Imperial Palace Water Resort and Spa will open in Mactan in January coupled with the extensive marketing campaign of Korean schools

Data from the Department of Tourism 7 revealed Korean arrivals to Cebu registered 103,139 visitors that plunged 10.44 percent compared to the first half of last year, which was at 115,161.

"I don't want it to drop any further and I am optimistic that the number will pick up starting January," said Go.

Go said his consular office is mulling to produce a marketing video, highlighting Cebu as a leisure and education destination, which will be launched online.

"We will further promote Cebu as a nice destination through the Internet and this will be easily accessed by Internet-savy Koreans," said Go.

The plan, he said, was an offshoot during his meeting with the association of Korean schools here recently.

Go said the video will also center on Cebu's peace and order situation and its high level proficiency of the English language, tapping the partnership of the Cebu City Government for the project to materialize.

"If we are successful on this project, I'll also tell the other provinces to sell the Philippines to Korea online," he said. # .

World tourism officials to attend int'l forum in Cebu

2008-09-25T23:29:00.001-07:00

CEBU CITY – The Department of Tourism (DoT) 7 confirmed that 50 percent of the expected 160 foreign delegates to the United Nations-World Tourism Organization's (UN-WTO) 6th International Tourism Forum for Parliamentarians will initially be attending the high profile international event next month.

Tourism Undersecretary Phineas Alburo said at present 80 foreign parliamentarians, national tourism administrators, international organizations and member-countries of the UNWTO will flock to Shangri-la's Mactan Resort and Spa on October 21-25.

"We expect 80 to 90 percent turn-out of foreign delegates to join the international tourism forum," he said in a press conference.

According to DoT 7, 29 of the 135 member-countries of the have so far verified to send their delegation, among these include China, Egypt, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Romania, Singapore, Spain, Pakistan, among others.

The international forum, which is held every two years, is expected to gather some 500 foreign and local representatives.

Alburo said that while this year's international event will bring in key tourism officials from UN countries, preparations are a scale-down version of the 12th Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit that the province hosted in January 2007.

He said tourism stakeholders including taxi operators have already been briefed about the coming event. Security measures have also been mapped out and put in place.

"Once again, Cebu will be the center of the world stage," Tourism Secretary Ace Durano said earlier.

"It is an opportunity for Cebu to look forward to and grow, and an effective way for Cebuanos to look inward and present its competitiveness and strength as a people to the rest of the world," he added.

Durano said tourism-related discussions to be tackled during the forum will deal on infrastructure projects, climate change, poverty reduction and the role of women in the industry.

He said infrastructure, especially airport development, will always be a vital component to increase tourism activities in a country.

A change in the climatic conditions will also be crucial in the traffic of foreign visitors, thus the tourism sector must be prepared for whatever changes in terms of trends and travel habits of tourists during wet and dry seasons, he added.

Durano also spoke of "immeasurable benefits and trickle-down effects" that the international tourism fair will bring to Cebu, as the main venue, as well as Bohol, which will be visited by delegates.

After the technical visit to Bohol, delegates will be provided the option for a post-conference tour of tourism hot spots like Boracay, Palawan, Davao, Manila and Cagayan de Oro. #

.

Organizers invite traders to Chinese trade fair

2008-09-25T23:25:00.000-07:00

CEBU CTIY – The Chinese delegation from the China Foreign Trade Center (CFTC) is luring interested traders and entrepreneurs from Cebu and the Visayas to an international trade fair scheduled this October in Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, China.

Dubbed the “China Import and Export Fair,” also known as the 104th Canton Fairm the event will feature the participation of hundreds of foreign exhibitors from 21,600 small and medium enterprise worldwide to showcase their various products and services.

“It will be a huge opportunity for Philippine products to market their goods in China, exchange information and negotiate business. In the long run, it will strengthen the economic trade cooperation between China and the Philippines,” said Ren Xiangdong, CFTC deputy director.

The fair will be held on October 15 to November 6 at the Pazhou Complex, which boasts of 37 exhibition halls with an exhibition space of 340,000 square meters.

The Canton Fair is described to be the leading trade fair in China with more than 200,000 local and international buyers.

Exhibitors range from various industries including electronics, household electrical appliances, industrial products, medicine, health care, textiles and garments and gifts.

Yesterday, Xiangdong, along with He Shi Jing, consul general of the People’s Republic of China in Cebu, and other Chinese trade officials, to invite the Chinese community here either as exhibitors and buyers.

Xiangdong said that Cebu, in particular, could highlight its electronics and metal production exports during the trade fair.

Participation in the event, he emphasized, will further improve bilateral relations and strengthen networking linkages between the Cebuano and Chinese business sectors.

Citing official CFTC records, Xiangdong said the Philippines trade volume to China in the first half of this year was at $15.71-billion, a 13 percent increase from the same period last year. #

CCCI prepares for wine festival, trade mission to South Africa

2008-09-25T23:22:00.000-07:00

CEBU CITY – The Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) South Africa Business Council will participate in an international wine festival in South Africa that will form one of the highlights during its nine-day trade mission to the country.

The wine festival dubbed the Fifth Biennial Cape Wine International Trade Show will exhibit 4,000 wines from members of the Wines of South Africa, which will be held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.

CCCI President Edward Gaisano said this will be an opportunity for Cebu’s business community to network with South African winemakers and learn more about the wine-making business.

Seminars will also be conducted in conjunction with the trade exhibition.

Considering that South Africa has the longest wine route in the world, a half day excursion through the vineyards and wine cellars will be conducted by the CCCI delegates at the Meerendal Wine Estate to observe how the wines are prepared and taste testing of their best cuisines in an African braii.

The CCCI South Africa Business Council, chaired by Carmel De Pio-Salvador,will also conduct a business mission and meet the members of the Johannesburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Cape Town Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as well as businessmen in Pretoria, South Africa.

CCCI president Dr. Edward Gaisano said the trade mission to South Africa—like those to Korea, Russia and India—poses much potential to member-companies of the chamber.

“The support of the South African Embassy in Manila, the Philippine Embassy in Pretoria and our own research into the bright possibilities for trade in the area have encouraged us to conduct the South Africa Trade Mission. Our vision of globally competitive Cebu businesses is pursued through activities such as this,” he said.

.

Cebuanos urged to participate in adventure sports

2008-09-25T23:19:00.000-07:00

CEBU CITY – A mountaineering expert here is encouraging more Filipinos to participate in outdoor activities, particularly mountain climbing and hiking, to keep them physically fit.

Jundel Llagas, a practicing mountaineer and marketing manager of UniGlobe Travelware Company, Inc., the exclusive distributor of international apparel brand North Face in the country, sees the need for Cebuanos to invest more time in physical workout amidst the unhealthy lifestyle and eating habits that are evident nowadays.

“Apart from the beach resorts, Cebu is strong in capturing a market for adventure tourists, who are mostly foreigners. I believe Cebuanos should also engage in these type of activities (mountain climbing, adventure sports) given the fast paced, often stressful lifestyle we have,” he said in an interview.

North Face for instance, which opened a branch at the SM City Cebu Northwing area recently, offers a complete line of sports and athletic apparel from backpacks, footwear, and waterproof jackets that are technologically designed for outdoor use.

While Llagas admitted to the price being a little more costly than most apparel brands, he assures it is a worthwhile investment to complement the needs of Cebuano athletes and those whose hobbies are into mountain climbing, trail running, among others.

He noted that the latest innovation in its footwear product is the boa-lacing system where the shoelaces are made of aircraft-grade stainless steel that requires no need to tie or untie. #
.

‘Banca’ business drives Cebu adventure tourism

2008-09-25T23:06:00.000-07:00

OLANGO ISLAND, Mactan- Adventure tourism enthusiasts can now find more attractions in Cebu after a Cebuano entrepreneur ventured into the “banca” business (motorized pumpboats) capitalizing on the increasing demand for island-hopping activities around nearby islands here.

Jay Aldeguer, president and chief executive officer of The Islands Group, opened recently a new company dubbed Islands Banca Cruises Corp. providing decent transportation facilities that will ferry tourists to different island destinations surrounding Cebu.

He said the “banca cruise” is in response to the growing popularity of adventure tourism led by the Department of Tourism (DoT) in promoting Cebu as a leisure destination of the South.

“Adventure tourism is picking up in Cebu. This ‘banca cruise’ will help enhance the attractiveness of the island making it more memorable for the tourists who come here,” Aldeguer said in an interview Tuesday.

“Island hopping and other sea-based activities are part of a leisure itinerary of a tourist especially when visiting Cebu because of the beaches and islands. I see the opportunity of providing a transportation facility through ‘banca’ that will offer good service and amenities,” he added.

Because Cebu is one of the top diving destinations in Central Visayas, Aldeguer said a “banca” ideal for island hopping will be a viable small scale business venture that will complement this.

Diving sites, such as Mactan’s Gilutungan and Nalusuan island marine sanctuaries, are a short 20 to 30-minute “banca” ride from Mactan Island.

Even the bird watching activities in Olango Island, which is among the adventure tourism package promotion of DoT, will benefit from this business. Bird watching, Tourism Secretary Ace Durano earlier said, is seen to become the next exciting tourism attraction of the country, luring the high-spending European market.

Islands Banca Cruises, Aldeguer said will jumpstart the trend on “professionalizing” the standard of services offered by the island hopping “banca” facilities.

Visitors on board Islands Banca Cruises are guaranteed of professional service, complete with welcome drinks, hot and cold towels, and entertainment activities while cruising around nearby islands in Cebu like Malapascua and Bantayan, even as far as Bohol and Apo Island, Aldeguer said.

At present, the company maintains three boats of several sizes with a sitting capacity of up to 40 people on board. Aldeguer said he has outsourced small-scale “banca” operators especially during the summer months. #

.

Hotel lures guests with therapeutic beds

2008-09-25T23:03:00.000-07:00

PUNTA ENGAÑO, Mactan, Cebu - An International hotel chain with operations here is slowly carving its niche in attracting local and foreign guests, capitalizing on its chiropractic beds that assures visitors of a “good night sleep”.

“Beds are very important when staying in a hotel that’s why we are investing heavily on these. The essence of a good accommodation is in the design and functionality of the beds,” said Teddy Lim, Microtel Inns and Suites (Pilipinas) Inc. vice president for marketing.

Chiropractic beds are noted for their therapeutic technology that is designed to relieve stress from the key muscles of the body, specifically the backside.

Lim said these chiropractic beds, which have to be imported, are among the best features of Microtel Resort-Mactan. “At the end of any leisure or business activity, it’s important to relax and a good bed is very essential, especially for the discriminating tourists,” said Microtel Inns and Suites-Mactan General Manager Rocky Jorolan.

Jorolan said these chiropractic beds are found in all 161 rooms of the hotel, which indicates the hotel chain’s commitment to providing five-star accommodation to every guest.

“More than the hotel amenities, we are putting more focus on the room services,” he said, citing the plasma television and good lighting fixtures as among the major investments of Microtel.

Lim said before Microtel Resort-Mactan formally opened last Sept. 22, its room occupancy has reached 85 percent.

He said the encouraging tourism business in Cebu with surging foreign and domestic arrivals has boosted the projection of the resort management to capture a sizeable market share, amid the demand for more room accommodations in Cebu.

Microtel Resort-Mactan is the eighth Microtel chain in the Philippines and the second resort-type development next to the one in Boracay.

The resort-hotel is situated in a 5,000 square-meter property, developed by Microtel franchisee Enrison Land Inc. (ELI), a company owned by the Benedicto family of Cebu.

ELI has inked a deal with Microtel, for a 100 percent franchise package, which means investing in the resort facility while tapping the management expertise of the Microtel group.

Microtel chain has hotel facilities in other parts of country, such as Baguio, Boracay, Tarlac, Davao, Cavite, Batangas, and Cabanatuan. #