After trailing behind Camarines Sur as a tourism destination, Cebu should develop more sites and services, offer attractive travel packages, then promote all these aggressively.
This is what key tourism stakeholders in Cebu said the industry should push to draw more visitors.
Camarines Sur, which developed itself as a center for watersports adventure, overtook Metro Manila and Cebu as the top tourism destination in the country with 2.33 million tourists in 2010 based on data from the National Statistical Coordination Board.
Manila had close to 2.3 million visitors while Cebu had 1.7 million tourists.
“I must admit Cebu has been a little bit complacent in trying to highlight our products. But no other place has a high variety of attractions like Cebu. We should capitalize that,” said Islands Group president Jay Aldeguer in an interview.
Aldeguer cited the need to package local destinations and promote them better.
“The whale shark attraction in Oslob is a blessing for Cebu but it’s taking us so long to get our act together. It’s been over six months but still we have not capitalize that. We are leaving it all to chance,” said Aldeguer.
Cebu used to be the country’s no. 1 destination in 2009 during the term of Tourism Secretary Ace Durano with 1.6 million visitors followed by Camarines Sur with 1.56 million and Metro Manila with 1.44 million based on figures from the DOT.
Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, interviewed in Aloguinsan town where she leads the Suroy Suroy Subgo in midwest Cebu, declined to comment on the reported drop of Cebu’s standing.
“Anyone can claim anything but if we have clear statistics, then we’ll comment,” she told reporters yesterday.
Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale said “if the data is reliable, we’re also happy for CamSur.”
“Dili man ta mo-compete nga ingon ana. This should be a reason to further our marketing. That’s still part of the Philippines.”
Magpale, who heads the tourism committee in the Provincial Board, said she would check the census statistics with DOT Regional Director Rowena Montecillo.
“There is more reason to invite more visitors to come to Cebu. We will improve our tourism” she said.
Cebu Association of Tour Operators president Cecile Sa-a agreed that more work is needed to expand Cebu’s appeal beyond beach resorts.
“The best thing to do is to develop more products. For a long time Cebu has not come up with new products for tourism sustainability. Government should come in also,” said Sa-a.
Sa-a said Camotes Island and Dawasan in Danao city can be promoted.
“The trend now is going towards eco-tourism. Camotes and Danasan have a lot to offer. DOT has a specific department on product development we need to also help inform them of these new products.”
Pricing and rates should also be monitored and regulated, she said.
Plantation Bay Resort and Spa general manager Efren Belarmino said the industry follows a cycle and as long as Cebu does its part to aggressively market the place, tourists will always come.
“Promotion is always the key,” said Belarmino.
Cebu is positioned as an “island destination” according to the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry which is holding the annual Tourism Congress on June 28 as part of Cebu Business Month.
“That is one very important input for our tourism events this year,” said Mila Espina, CCCI tourism committee chairperson.
She said the ongoing contest ‘It’s more fun in Cebu’ will bring out new and not yet explored beautiful destinations in Cebu and the partnership with the Province of Cebu and the academe for the Serbisyo Eskwela Turismo ( SET) Immersion Project will craft tour packages in selected towns.
“We are also looking at Cebu as an entertainment hub and an English language hub. We will need more marketing. We can tap more creative means like Facebook,” said Espina.
Cebu’s biggest number of tourists comes from Korea, which has 23 percent of the market, followed by USA, Japan, China, and Taiwan. /Aileen Garcia-Yap andCarmel Matus