Tourism players told: Don’t be a copycat

CEBU, Philippines — While Cebu has everything it has to extract wealth from tourism, stakeholders are warned not to do a ‘copycat,’ but instead develop their own appeal, especially events and meetings.

Janet Tan-Collis, president of Singapore Association of Convention & Exhibition Organizers & Suppliers (SACEOS), believes that Cebu could make big in tourism and MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) capitalizing on its own charm, "you already have the diamonds, make them shine."

Despite the problem on traffic or what she described as urban "mess", she said Cebu is blessed with so much beauty.

"Don’t try to change everything, enhance them," she stressed.

A committed collaboration of private sector stakeholders and the concerned government agencies in tourism sector should be created, and make a shared vision how to make MICE and tourism forward.

She underscored the importance of professionalism as vital force to bring up the business tourism industry as a whole. "Professionalism is about accuracy." Which means, Cebu has to set its vision clearly; how to realize quicker results.

"You have huge potential," she reiterated, stressing that if the "world" won’t be impressed much by other things, the Filipinos' natural charm surely will.