Cebu tour operators to introduce two-city destinations
Posted by on March 27, 2008
CEBU CITY, March 25 (PNA) – Cebu tour operators have embarked on a program packaging “two-city destinations” as a tour product.
Alice Queblatin, former president of the Cebu Association of Tour Operators (Cato), said the package is in response to the call of the Department of Tourism (DOT) to create more innovative tour products.
”We chose the two cities based on proximity and access points, where we can enter in one and exit in the other,” said Queblatin.
The two city packages include Cagayan de Oro-Camiguin, Dumaguete-Siquor, Iloilo-Bacolod and Cebu-Bohol.
Queblatin said Cebu is still the main gateway to reach these destinations.
”Cebu has all the facilities to be a hub. We are in the right destination and right position, and we have a good mix of hotels and restaurants. That’s why we get a good share of tourists,” she said.
In the regional economic situationer, the National Economic Development Authority (Neda) 7 said around 70 percent of tourists looking for destinations showed interest in Cebu and Bohol.
”This is because Cebu and Bohol are considered as gateways and jump-off points for other attractions in the country,” Neda said.
Queblatin said this development will also encourage other provinces which are not often visited by tourists to improve facilities.
She said Butuan is starting to “pickup from the development” and has started to improve its port.
Recently, the DOT announced it was developing bird-watching as a new product targeting the European market, with United Kingdom having a total of eight million birdwatchers. (PNA)
