Regional unity urged in tour forum

Unity amid diversity” was the theme the Capitol played up as it welcomed foreign delegates to yesterday morning’s opening of the East Asia Inter-Regional Tourism Forum (Eatof) at the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) in Mandaue City.

Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia and the Provincial Board (PB) were on hand to welcome the delegates who each received a golden key contained in fiber glass that was embossed with the province’s seal.

The delegates were also greeted by the top 12 winners of this year’s Pasigarbo sa Sugbo  upon their arrival at the CICC.

In her speech, Garcia recalled the opening of the forum 12 years ago as the start of a “common journey” to explore the region’s rich diversity.

“We shared that journey because we recognized that each of our provinces’ futures was in tourism, and forged on, realizing that the challenges we faced were common, and that hope lay in our working together to conquer them,” Garcia said.

Garcia also described the forum as a “model of international cooperation in the push for tourism.”   “We hope that in our continued unity, we make East Asia and each of our 12 provinces the powerful tourism draw that we are capable of becoming,” she said.

A “travel mart” was held a day before the forum, which featured the tourism destinations of each provinces including Cebu.

Cebu showcased its furniture and some products during the One Cebu Expo held last month.

Delegates from Gangwon, Korea, Jilin, China, Laos, Vietnam, Sarawak, Malaysia, Cambodia,  Japan, Mongolia and Indonesia were on hand to attend the forum.

Delegates also joined in a business matching arrangement with the Cebu Chamber of Commerce Industry (CCCI).