Cebu tourism players agree to form policy making body
Major tourism sector groups in Cebu have agreed on the creation of an umbrella group to serve as a policy making body, or a voice of the tourism industry in Cebu.
During a recent meeting spearheaded by the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) Tourism committee headed by Mila Espina, major tourism industry groups were represented and subsequently agreed to form a united tourism industry group in Cebu.
Although most players wanted to shun away with a "coalition" name, because, Espina said, it sounded like a political term, a better name will soon be created.
According to Espina the umbrella organization of tourism will include the membership of Hotel Resort and Restaurant Association of Cebu (HRRAC), Cebu Association of Travel Operators (CATO), Cebu Travel and Tours Association (CTTA), Cebu Association of Tour Guides (CAT-G), National Association of Independent Travel Agencies (Naitas), Cebu Visitors and Convention Bureau (CVCB), among others.
The formal formation of the group has earned the support of the government through the Department of Tourism (DOT-7) regional director Patria Aurora Roa.
The effort to push bravely the creation of a united tourism group organization was espoused because of the several available international support funds for tourism that has not been properly tapped by the tourism industry in Cebu, because of lack of a formal tourism industry organization.
Espina emphasized that CCCI will not be the lead institution of the united tourism industry players' group in Cebu, but will act only as the initiator of the program.
"We need to have an organization as soon as possible for the tourism sector, in order not to waste the funding opportunities offered to Cebu tourism industry," Espina said.
Earlier, Espina and other members of the tourism core group of the CCCI met with the Canadian Ambassador to the Philippines Peter Sutherland for a possibility to access funds from the Canadian government to help the potential tourism industry in Cebu.
According to Espina, Sutherland strongly recommended for a creation of tourism industry organization that will represent all sub-sectors in the industry in order to get funding support especially from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).
"In the past it was harder to get together all the stakeholders in the tourism industry, that's why some attempts to form a core tourism group in Cebu failed. Now, the several organizations fall under the travel and tours, and tourism sector in general are more open to the idea of working as one," Espina said.
Initial groups or committees were being formed during the Tourism Congress meeting held recently at Parklane International Hotel, these are; Culture of Tourism; Cebu Branding: and Coalition of Tourism Groups.
Espina said the Coalition of Tourism Groups, which is headed by Marilou Pintor will be the one to work on uniting all the tourism organizations and form the formal tourism group.
By Ehda M. Dagooc
The Freeman 08/19/2006
During a recent meeting spearheaded by the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) Tourism committee headed by Mila Espina, major tourism industry groups were represented and subsequently agreed to form a united tourism industry group in Cebu.
Although most players wanted to shun away with a "coalition" name, because, Espina said, it sounded like a political term, a better name will soon be created.
According to Espina the umbrella organization of tourism will include the membership of Hotel Resort and Restaurant Association of Cebu (HRRAC), Cebu Association of Travel Operators (CATO), Cebu Travel and Tours Association (CTTA), Cebu Association of Tour Guides (CAT-G), National Association of Independent Travel Agencies (Naitas), Cebu Visitors and Convention Bureau (CVCB), among others.
The formal formation of the group has earned the support of the government through the Department of Tourism (DOT-7) regional director Patria Aurora Roa.
The effort to push bravely the creation of a united tourism group organization was espoused because of the several available international support funds for tourism that has not been properly tapped by the tourism industry in Cebu, because of lack of a formal tourism industry organization.
Espina emphasized that CCCI will not be the lead institution of the united tourism industry players' group in Cebu, but will act only as the initiator of the program.
"We need to have an organization as soon as possible for the tourism sector, in order not to waste the funding opportunities offered to Cebu tourism industry," Espina said.
Earlier, Espina and other members of the tourism core group of the CCCI met with the Canadian Ambassador to the Philippines Peter Sutherland for a possibility to access funds from the Canadian government to help the potential tourism industry in Cebu.
According to Espina, Sutherland strongly recommended for a creation of tourism industry organization that will represent all sub-sectors in the industry in order to get funding support especially from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).
"In the past it was harder to get together all the stakeholders in the tourism industry, that's why some attempts to form a core tourism group in Cebu failed. Now, the several organizations fall under the travel and tours, and tourism sector in general are more open to the idea of working as one," Espina said.
Initial groups or committees were being formed during the Tourism Congress meeting held recently at Parklane International Hotel, these are; Culture of Tourism; Cebu Branding: and Coalition of Tourism Groups.
Espina said the Coalition of Tourism Groups, which is headed by Marilou Pintor will be the one to work on uniting all the tourism organizations and form the formal tourism group.
By Ehda M. Dagooc
The Freeman 08/19/2006
posted by eager2wander at 7:06 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home