CCCI, independent travel group one in initiating culture of tourism

The Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) Tourism Committee has asked the National Association of Independent Travel Agencies (NAITAS) to join the committee in its bid to fully establish culture of tourism in Cebu.

NAITAS, in partnership with some local government units (LGUs) like the Mandaue City, has been trying to provide seminars in "culture of tourism" in Cebu, as the organization believes the huge potential of Cebu to make it as premier vacation destination in Asia in the next few years, said NAITAS chairman Robert Lim Joseph.

On the other hand, CCCI-Tourism Committee chairperson Mila Espina said the chamber has been advocating, and giving out seminars to multi-sectoral groups in order to introduce culture of tourism in Cebu, said NAITAS and CCCI should work together. After all, the two groups have only one goal.

"We will tie up with NAITAS. We have the same target. Two to three years ago, the chamber through the tourism committee has been initiating moves to push culture of tourism in Cebu," Espina said during a tourism forum, which was also attended by Joseph.

According to Joseph, NAITAS over 1,000 members are now focusing on selling Cebu as a destination, thus achieving the 3.6 million tourist arrivals in the next few years is not impossible.

The entire country is targeting (only) to hit the five million tourist arrivals in the next four years, but Joseph said Cebu is capable of outsmarting the entire country's arrival target, if the province were to be properly promoted abroad.

"Let us sell Cebu, as Cebu," he said.

Joseph said establishing a good culture of tourism is also equally important as promotion, thus this advocacy should be actively push by the tourism players, in close partnership with LGUs.

"We would like to see moves like what Singapore and Thailand had done. Support facilities should also be given attention like energy and water," Joseph added.

Espina said two to three years ago, the chamber through the tourism committee has been advocating culture of tourism initiatives, which include providing seminars to front liners like taxi drivers, tourist guides, barangay residents, among others.

"Tourism is everybody's business, let us work together as one," Espina said.

This coming Thursday (August 17), CCCI's tourism committee will hold a planning session with the different tourism stakeholders including Naitas members to properly form a solid tourism coalition that will promote Cebu, and together establish a culture of tourism initiatives.

During the session Espina said stakeholders will be asked to input their ideas on how to effectively tackle projects and funding access to pull up Cebu's tourism advantage.