PRIVATE sector representatives in Cebu yesterday urged the tourism department to invest in the Mactan airport infrastructure and road projects.
Efren Belarmino, Plantation Bay Resort and Spa general manager, said infrastructure and security should be given high priority for tourism investment, especially in Cebu.
“Road work in areas going to the Mactan airport right is not yet finished. We need this completed as soon as possible because it affects the convenience of guests going to and from the airport which is our gateway,” said Belarmino.
Jenny Franco, National Association of Independent Travel Agencies (NAITAS) Cebu Chapter chairperson, agreed.
She said attention should be given to “infrastructure like international standard facilities in our airport and seaport terminals, good roads leading to tourist destinations in the countryside and Cebu City, and clean and well maintained public toilets.”
Jay Aldeguer, Islands Group president, said priority should be given to areas beyond Mactan and Cebu City that have basic infrastructure and name recall.
Places like Bantayan Island, Malapascua, Camotes Island, Moalboal and Oslob “are areas ripe to promote and package. Of course there has to be strategic positioning of each place so we don’t compete for the same market and we’re not redundant,” said Aldeguer.
Belarmino said Mactan stakeholders were joining the local government’s thrust to promote sports tourism.
“This August we have the Ironman and in February next year the PAL Inter Club will be holding their golf tournament here.
“We are already attracting that segment. All we need to do is package and promote it properly,” said Belarmino.
Robert Lim Joseph, Naitas chairman emeritus, said that Cebu needs to cre-ate new tourism products to attract more tourists.
Joseph said he would like to discuss the NTDP (National Tourism Development Plan) during the forum in August because some statistics need to be corrected.
In the NTDP, to achieve the DOT’s target of 10 million international and 35.5 million domestic travelers by 2016, an investment of P266 billion is needed.
The government is looking at the private sector to pour in 71 percent of the required investment or P191 billion for hotels, restaurants and other tourism infrastructure./Aileen Garcia-Yap