ABOUT 1 million South Koreans were projected to have arrived in Cebu in 2017.
A news statement from the Department of Tourism (DOT) said officials attributed the continued influx of South Koreans to the Queen City of the South to its world-class beach resorts, exotic cultural festivities and well-preserved historical sites, such as old forts, churches and Spanish-era architecture.
Shalihmar Hofer Tamano, DOT regional director for Central Visayas, which also includes Bohol, Negros Oriental and Siquijor, also credited the peace and order situation, improved air connectivity and Filipino hospitality as reasons for the boom in Cebu’s tourism industry.
“Like what Tourism Secretary Wanda [Corazon T.] Teo says, more than anything else, it’s the unique and genuine Filipino hospitality and the Cebuano charm that attract Koreans, Japanese and Chinese visitors to the region,” he said, after a meeting with officials of the Korean Consulate and members of the Korea Travel Agencies Association (Kotaa).
In a meeting with South Korea’s Consul General Oh Sung-Yong, Tamano assured him of the constant coordination between the Philippine National Police (PNP) and military authorities to ensure the safety of tourists, particularly in Cebu City.
It would be recalled that South Korean tourists postponed or cancelled their bookings in Cebu and Bohol last year when extremist Islamic insurgents attacked a town in Bohol. The DOT had to send officials to a wooing mission to Seoul to assure its travel agencies that the two provinces were safe for tourists.
Tamano also acknowledged the DOT-Seoul Office’s efforts in promoting Cebu and other Philippine destinations, particularly at the annual Korea Travel Fair.
He said over 840,000 tourists from South Korea arrived in the region, mostly staying in Cebu’s islands, including Bantayan, Mactan, Camotes, Oslob and Malapascua, as well as Cebu City. He added it was possible that South Korean arrivals in Cebu “may have reached 1 million in 2017,” although data are still being collected.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if Cebu would soon be known as the ‘Seoul of the Philippines,’ the Koreans’ home away from home,” he said.
Tamano also underscored the agency’s “holistic approach” in promoting tourism to overseas markets, which combine eco-agri-faith attractions and destinations. “This year’s Sinulog festival alone drew hundreds of thousands of international and domestic tourists into Cebu City,” he said.
Among the major tourist attractions in Cebu are Magellan’s Cross and Shrine, the Basilica de Santo Niño, Taoist Temple, Fort San Pedro, the Carbon Market for danggit shopping, Lake Danao, with culinary delights, such as sutukil, chocolates made by local artisanal confectioners, the famous lechon Cebu and Chicharon Carcar, as well as seafood restaurants.
The DOT is currently promoting other key destinations in the country, moving away from marketing Boracay Island, a popular resort island in Western Visayas, due to ongoing rehabilitation efforts.
Overall, South Korea continued to be top source market for tourists in the Philippines, with 1.6 million in arrivals. The market accounted for 24 percent of the total arrivals that year, which reached some 6.6 million. Meanwhile, Presidential Spokesman Harry L. Roque Jr. on Monday said there is no proclamation yet on the state of calamity
in Boracay.
There was supposed to be a meeting on Monday on Boracay’s fate. However, Roque said they held it earlier last Friday because Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu was not available on Monday.
Roque also announced that there will be another meeting this week with Arch. Felino Palafox Jr. “So no decision has been made by…at least the three secretaries, because there is a second round of meeting to be held this week.”
Asked on when the proclamation can be expected, Roque said: “I can’t say, but I will inform you if one has been issued. I understand that no less than the municipality of Malay is also considering the possibility of a similar declaration of the state of calamity because, under the law, the local government unit or the national government can declare such declaration.”
With Bernadette D. Nicolas
Image credits: Faye Pablo