Cebu City Readies for More Local Tourists with Four New Tourism Programs

There's no doubt that when it comes to local tourism, Central Visayas is one of the top most destinations to visit may it be for local or international tourists. The region has set its tourism image on a global scale that it captures most of the tourists coming in the Philippines before the pandemic. With its interweaving cultural and social beauty topped with breathtaking and truly amazing eco-adventures, who could not love this region?

With its local government units efforts to bring back the glory that the region enjoys before the global pandemic hit, Cebu City leads the preparation in welcoming again tourists from different parts of the Philippines for now as it readies the city with four new tourist destinations to experience.

"Cebu City has been opened for travel since November 2020. The mayor has issued an executive order that allows non-essential or leisure or vacation travel to the City of Cebu, although we really to have to comply with the guidelines of the IATF. We are hopeful that in the coming days or months that our situation will continue, especially Cebu City has been for a long time under the Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ) level, which allows tourism-related establishments to open for at most 50% capacity," Cebu City Tourism Commission (CCTC) Chairperson Atty. Jocelyn Pesquera said in a press

conference held at Quest Hotel, Cebu City.

Four New Tourist Sites in Cebu City

In line with the city's efforts to boost local tourism, Atty. Pesquera shares Cebu City's plans  in the coming days that will entice tourists and businesses to visit and reopen starting with Highland Blooms and Eco-Tourism, which was launched in May 2021.

Along with the safety protocols in placed, the Highland Blooms Eco-Tourism highlights Cebu City's flower farms and mountain resorts that shares breathtaking views and relaxing ambiance that has been a clamor to metro-dwellers who have been stuck at home due to quarantine measure.

Aside for tourist attractions, Cebu City hopes to provide avenues for people to recuperate especially those who have mental health concerns. Through this initiative, the city aspire to create a new exciting and relaxing site for people to enjoy.

Another tourism program, which is set to launch next year will be the Urban & Coastal Tourism, which will highlight the city's long stretch of coastline that provides opportunity for tourists to experience bird watching with some of the city's migratory birds, as well as serves as jump off point for island hopping and scuba diving activities.

Atty. Pesquera was also delighter to share Cebu City's two new Heritage Tours that will service not only as an education site for families and kids, but will also serve as remembrance to the rich history of the province during the American and Japanese occupation.

Tentatively,  these Heritage Tours will start with the opening of the American Era, which will take place on July 4, in relation to the Philippine-American Friendship Day, which is also the 75th year of the establishment of the Philippine Republic. While the Japanese Era will follow as soon as the sites have been finished.

Safety Measures and Vaccination Program in Cebu

During the presscon, Atty. Pesquera also shared that she is also overseeing the vaccination program in the city. And despite of the shortage of supply of vaccines in the province, the City Government of Cebu is hopeful that the national government will continue providing assistance to them to achieve herd immunity among Cebuanos that will also jumpstart the local tourism in the region.

"The efforts of the City right now is we're in coordination with the Hotel Resort & Restaurant Association of Cebu, Inc. (HRRACI) - helping and assisting them through vaccination of their members' employees as well as our tourism partners. And since the cases in the City are considerably reduced, the City Government has shifted the concentration to the vaccination campaign," Atty. Pesquera added. 

Cebu City's association of hotel resort and restaurant recently signed an agreement with AirAsia Philippines as they embark on boosting the tourism industry in the city through amazing tourism program, promos and deals that will benefit tourists and the local economy.

AirAsia CEO Ricky Isla shares his delight as his company is at the forefront of this endeavor to bounce back from the negative impact of the global pandemic that is still affecting our daily lives until today.

Currently, local tourists who wish to visit Cebu City are required to submit a negative RT-PCR Swab Test and an approved S-Pass to enter the city. Meanwhile, travelers who are entering via Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue Cities are free to enter without the aforementioned test result. Both parties are hoping that with the on-going inoculation of the COVID-19 vaccine in the country, tourism will bounce soon to help the struggling travel and tourism industry in the Philippines.

This press conference has been made possible through the partnership with AirAsia Philippines, which now flies to Cebu and Bohol in Central Visayas.