The Department of Tourism (DOT) regional office in Bicol is optimistic about making Bicol region a top tourist destination in the country in terms of foreign tourist arrivals.

DOT Bicol Regional Director Maria Ong-Ravanilla said that massive tourism promotion is being conducted by the department internationally to market Bicol region.

Ravanilla said that DOT, tour operators, traders and other tourist stakeholders have been working to expand the market abroad. “We are hopeful that Bicol region will become the leading foreign tourist destination,” he said.

Last year, Bicol ranked No. 4 in terms of foreign tourist arrivals.

Aside from networking with international tourism organizations, the DOT and other stakeholders continue to participate in international business expositions.

“Next week our tour operators, tourist spot owners and traders will participate in the World Entrepreneur Business Expo set on November 19 to 22 at the SM Mall of Asia. This is part of the 10th World Chinese Entrepreneur Conference,” Ravanilla said.

This business exposition, she noted, will be participated in by at least 2000 entrepreneurs worldwide. “The occasion will serve as a window of opportunity to market Bicol potentials specially our best of the best products.”

On December 5, a group of Bicol entrepreneurs together with DOT representatives are set to travel to China to conduct a massive marketing and promotion campaign. (PNA)
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The Philippines is still the top destination of most Chinese tourists coming from mainland China.

This was revealed recently by Davao del Norte Governor Rodolfo del Rosario during a recent meeting in Tagum City by the Davao tourism industry cluster team to discuss the Tourism Databank project, as well as Tourism Statistics and Market Analysis.

Del Rosario said that in Shanghai alone, the most popular destination of most Chinese residents, is still the Philippines and the number has been growing by leaps and bounds the last few years.

Recent statistics show that China’s outbound tourist destination has totaled nearly 75 percent for the Philippines, according to Del Rosario.

“This shows us clearly just how important data gathering and statistics are in any kind of planning we do, whether we are in the private sector or in the government,” Del Rosario said.

Anticipating an avalanche of Chinese tourists to come to Davao in the coming years, total tourism-related investments had reached a total of P2.5 billion in the Davao Region, according to Araceli Ayuste, president of the Mindanao and Provincial Tourism Council and one of the top planners of the Davao tourism industry cluster team.

The importance of market research in the planning of major tourism promotion programs was also stressed by Eden David, official representative of the regional Department of Tourism office, said that efforts are needed to push for research studies for local government units, inventory of tourism products, hotels and inns, guests profiles, etc.

“We need to come up with detailed statistics for all these, we all know how much research is very important for any kind of investments,” Eden said.

Researchers and statisticians in the team also agreed that so far no formal research study has been done in the Philippines for a tourism databank and there is a real need to set up comprehensive surveys of tourism facilities, tourist arrivals, guest profiling, hotel occupancy rates, places to visit, visitors’ classifications, etc.

This market research is part of a series of tourism projects now in progress by the industry cluster team under the Davao Industry Cluster Capacity Enhancement Project, a joint project of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). (PNA)
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(PNA) — Ekran Berhad Sdn, a Malaysian conglomerate that owns a chain of big hotels, is set to re-open this year the Samal Casino Resort in the Island Garden City of Samal in Davao del Norte.

Secretary Jesus Dureza, Presidential Adviser on Mindanao and the Philippine Signing Minister for the Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines-East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA), said the revival of the casino resort was confirmed by its Malaysian owner, headed by Tan Sri Datuk Ting Pek Khiing, executive chairman of Ekran Berhad Sdn. during a recently held bilateral meeting between the Philippines and Malaysia in Brunei Darussalam.

Dureza said the P1.5 billion tourism complex in Samal’s Kaputian District would soon be back in full business.

He said the meeting was a side event of the BIMP-EAGA Roundtable Discussion on the Community-based Ecotourism (CBET) development, which was part of the week-long 18th BIMP-EAGA Senior Officials and 14th Signing Ministers meeting and other related events held in Brunei Darussalam on August 5-8.

Meanwhile, Ekran Berhad officials also said they were working on the revival of the Davao-Kota Kinabalu air link, in partnership with the Malaysian Airlines, which used to ply the route in 1990s before it folded up operations due to low passenger load.

“As a result of the meeting, we’re putting back on track the Samal Casino Resort. This is an indication of a sound business environment in Mindanao and across borders as there is now an opportunity to reconnect in the south,” Dureza said.

Dureza, along with Samal Mayor Aniano Antalan, Tourism Undersecretary Oscar Palabyab and Davao Del Norte Congressman Anton Lagdameo, met with Ekran Berhad officials in Brunei to discuss and agree on the most feasible arrangement that will facilitate the re-opening of the resort.

“This will surely boost tourism and employment opportunities and expected to generate P50 million in various taxes,” said Lagdameo, also chairperson of the House Committee on BIMP-EAGA Affairs.

In its bid to reopen the resort, Ekran Berhad Sdn. is set to infuse an estimated US$ 15 to US$ 20 million new capital investment.

“The plan to resume the operations of Ekran was based on sound business decision. Sa tingin nila maganda na ang business environment sa Mindanao,” said Trade Undersecretary Merly Cruz, the Philippine Senior Official for BIMP-EAGA.

The Samal Casino Resort, which sits on a 250-hectare area in Samal is about 30 minutes by boat from Sta. Ana wharf, Davao City, Mindanao’s premier economic hub.

The resort started operating as a hotel and casino in late 1997 with 300 rooms and a ballroom that could accommodate 3,000 people.

It is one of the large scale investments ushered by an agreement forged between Philippines and Malaysia in the early 1990’s under the BIMP-EAGA initiative. (PNA)
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