Japan consul assures Cebu tourism execs

CEBU CITY — There may be light at the end of the tunnel.

Japanese consul Takashi Suzuki agreed the other day to bring to the attention of his government the unpopularity of its travel advisory against Cebu and Central Visayas.

The agreement was forged after Suzuki met with two representatives of the regional tourism industry in his office at the Metrobank Plaza building.

About 300 people from the regional tourism industry, joined by some local officials, rallied outside the building to lobby for the lifting of Japan’s advisory which, in the perception of many, is unfair.

Suzuki met with Alice Queblatin of SKAL-Cebu, a group of international travel executives, and Peter Dejaresco, who represented travel and tour operators in Bohol, and was presented a manifesto he agreed to forward to the Japanese ambassador in Manila who, in turn, is expected to forward it to Tokyo.

"We personally handed to him our manifesto and told him the reason of our rally. We explained to him that Cebu is a safe place for tourists, that is why the travel advisory against Cebu should be lifted. He promised us that he will give the manifesto to the Japanese ambassador," Queblatin later told reporters.

In the manifesto, tourism associations and government agencies in Cebu and other areas in Central Visayas appealed to the Japanese government to lift the travel advisory at the soonest possible time.

They said the Visayas, contrary to the travel advisory, has been and will always be one of the safest destinations in the Philippines.

Among the manifesto’s signatories were the Cebu Association of Tour Operators, Hotel, Resort and Restaurant Association of Cebu, Cebu City Tourism Council, Cebu Association of Tour Guides, Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Cebu Travel and Tours Association, Regional Tourism Council and SKAL-Cebu. — Freeman News Service