“Digital Tourism”project for Cebu’s top tourist sites

CEBU, Philippines - With the aim to boost more the tourism sector of Cebu, the Provincial government has made official its partnership with the digital communications industry as well as other government agencies to promote more the province through new forms of media.

This Friday, the Provincial government will be launching the “Digital Tourism Project” which pushes to “harness technology to deliver tourism information to devices that tourists always carry around with them like mobile phone and tablets.”

In partnership with Smart Communications and InnoPub media, Governor Hilario Davide III has approved for the implementation in Cebu of the Digital Tourism Project, which has already been realized in Iloilo City.

The Digital Tourism Project will initially be producing electronic guidebooks called “A guide to Cebu”, which would be a native e-book format for Kindle, iPhones, iPads, Android phone and tablet devices.

The e-book will be a comprehensive guide to Cebu where a directory of all establishments and people accredited by the Department of Tourism (DOT)- 7, like hotels, tourism transport services, tour operators  and tour guides, will be listed.

It would also include a list of all the historical sites and nature sites in all towns and component cities  of  Cebu and would be using a QR code, or a special type of barcode which tourists can scan using their gadgets to have more information about the sites.

Further, the project has also been approved by the Cebu Archdiocese under Archbishop Jose Palma and will be used as official guide during the International Eucharistic Congress this 2016.

Ethel Natera, the Provincial Information Officer, said that their partners chose to launch the project in the municipality of Argao this September 27, since the officials in the town are very active in tourism.

“Argao is the launch place but this (project) will be replicated in the whole province.”

Other partners for the Digital Tourism Project are DOT, Cebu Pacific, Marco Polo Plaza Hotel, Iloilo city government and the Cebu City government. (FREEMAN)