CeBu CeBoom CeBlog

Business Visayas: Cebu tourism boom pushes regional traffic up 80%

An increase of 80 percent in tourist traffic in the region last year predominated by Cebu acknowledges the province’s image of being the country’s favorite tourism destination.

Department of Tourism (DOT) regional director Patria Aurora Roa during the 888 News Forum at the Marco Polo Hotel said tourists, foreign and domestics alike continue to flock to Cebu to unwind and have a relaxing vacation. The DOT-7 is still finalizing the total figures of the number of tourist arrivals in 2006 for Central Visayas including Cebu.

With the success of the 12th Asean Summit in Cebu, the province embarks on an additional model of being promoted as an international conference site with the construction of the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC), according to Roa.

Balita Organization, Inc - 11 - Cebu hotel expects growth with coming of Indians

A Filipino hotel chain operator plans to tap the “huge” market of Indian travelers to hike its revenues and room occupancy rate this year.

“The hotel aims to expand our reach to other Asian tourists and India is a potential market for us,” said Hembler Mendoza, manager of Waterfront Airport Hotel and Casino (WAHC) in Lapu-Lapu City.

WAHC sales and marketing manager Shelly Arciaga said while Koreans, Japanese and Taiwanese nationals as well as Filipinos are among the hotel’s top market visitors, Indian business travelers are “now slowly eating up the pie.”

ABS-CBN Interactive

Kepco Philippines Corp. (Kephilco), a subsidiary of Korea Electric Power Corp., will start the construction of its Cebu coal-fired power plant in May this year.

Kephilco manager business development Soon Chan Ahn said the power plant, which is to be jointly built with Salcon Power Corp., will start commissioning after 33 months or by 2010.

Ahn said they are currently readying supply contract with possible offtakers for the coal-fired facility.