Germans mull tourism-related projects

At least five German groups are currently looking forward to put investments in tourism-related facilities in Cebu.

Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany Axel Weishaupt said that if the tourism industry in Cebu will boom further, these groups are willing to spend millions of dollars to invest in tourism-related projects here.

Currently, there are indirect investments from German companies in existing hotels or resorts in Cebu, he said aside from possible hotels or resorts investments, German capitalists also expressed interest for a convention facility project.

Weishaupt who was in Cebu yesterday on the occasion of the awarding ceremony on ISO 14001 Certification to the Cebu Common Treatment Facility, Inc., a German-government supported project, said Cebu has a huge potential to attract tourism-related investments from Germany, as well as lure German travelers.

The Ambassador however, refused to divulge the identity of the German groups to invest in Cebu, saying everything is not official yet.

However, he said that interests from German investors for tourism related projects in Cebu are significantly improving.

He said there are a number of successful international hotel/resorts brands here in Cebu, which strongly indicates that investment in tourism related facilities, like hotel or resort projects could be a good move.

In the Philippines, most German-owned investments are into special machinery and semi-conductor industries, most of these operations are located in Luzon area.

German market is consuming Cebu-made products like furniture, food, and fashion accessories.

Although Cebu, or the Philippines has the potential to attract "wealthy" German tourists, he said it should exert more effort to market the country as a destination, in Germany, as most of the Germans are now going to Thailand, Bali (Indonesia), and Palau Island.

He mentioned that the negative publicities of the Philippines abroad has brought the country down, in terms of attracting tourists.

Annually, the German traveling market is spending an average of 20 billion euro for travels, he said number one destination is Thailand, next is Indonesia, the third alternative is the Philippines.

German tourists are a good combination of both luxury travelers and backpackers.

Although Philippines is known in Germany as one of the vacation destinations in Asia, it could be better known if marketing promotions will be intensified in their country.

Germany is the third largest economy in the world, he added that tourism promotion efforts of the Philippines, should be more competitive in Europe or Germany in particular like the other countries in Asia are doing.

Palau Island for instance is now an emerging alternative vacation destination of Germans, as it offers cheaper rates compared to the Philippines, he said.