CCCI, government agencies to work on Cebu master plan

CEBU, Philippines - The private sector, through the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) Tourism Committee, in consultation with different government agencies and tourism-related organizations, will take the lead in developing a workable tourism master plan for Cebu.

This is one of the offshoots during the recently concluded Tourism Congress as recorded in its resolution that will be submitted to concerned government agencies in the local and national levels.

CCCI Tourism Committee chairperson Milagros Espina said that aside from re-assessing the resolutions made in the past, determining the extent of the implementation and making close monitoring from the appropriate agencies where the resolutions were directed, crafting a five- to six-year master plan is also deemed to be, if not more, effective and significant.

The master plan, according to the new resolution, will be focused on pressuring the government agencies concerned to accelerate the implementation of pending infrastructure projects.

The tourism master plan will include specifically advocating initiatives to improve air and land terminals and sea ports in order to accommodate the projected growth of tourism arrivals, as well as to upscale basic services and human resource capabilities.

Also, the CCCI Tourism Committee will take the initiative to advocate a more lasting branding of Cebu or the Philippines, and craft an “icon” for Cebu while working on identifying “niche” marketing strategies to attract quality tourists.

Part of the priority advocacies that will be pushed seriously by the chamber is to advance the promotion of eco-tourism heritage by pursuing further partnerships with agencies working on sustainable environment-friendly; smoke-and pollution free communities, beautifications; sanitation activities, not only in tourism establishments but in the community as a whole.

The chamber will also strengthen its support in the development of Cebu’s countryside tourism, said Espina.

The resolution also stressed on the improvement of security and police protection for tourists and citizens within Cebu province.

The committee identified the strengthening of industry-academe linkages in designing curriculum and on-the-job training programs.

Widening the private-public-partnership programs between tourism stakeholders and government implementing agencies will also be pursued both in the national and local government levels.

CCCI, through the resolution, vowed to support concerns of the tourism-travel related groups, in matters relating to more workable and affordable operations, franchises of tourist buses/facilities, as well as licensing permits.

Close collaboration between the stakeholders and the government in addressing these major concerns in the tourism industry is seen to help Cebu or the Philippines in general to get ready for the ASEAN integration come 2015. /JMD (FREEMAN)