DTI pushes Cebu as premier health, wellness destination

BOHOL , Philippines   - The Department of Trade and Industry Cebu is eyeing to make the province as a world-class destination for health and wellness tourism in Asia by the year 2010.

During the Micro-Small and Medium Enterprise Congress in Tagbilaran City, Bohol, DTI-Cebu provincial director Nelia Navarro shared the best practices of the office and other coordinating agencies to promote health and wellness, which has greatly contributed to the tourism growth of the province in recent months.

Navarro said that as other provinces are supporting other means of tourism, Cebu is strengthening its goal in offering world-famous health and wellness services with prices that are still affordable but do not affect the quality given to the customers.

This, Navarro said, is highly achievable by 2010 considering the number of foreign visitors who have already checked out the hospital facilities as well as the resorts and hotels in Cebu, and have paid high respect and appreciation through their incessant interest on what the country can offer.            

Navarro further said that, during the 4th Annual World Health Tourism Congress held last March 26-29 at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Hotel in Manila, which was attended by both foreign and local participants, they were able to “introduce and sell Cebu as a highly favorable and international destination for health and wellness, especially to the Middle East market.”

She said they later brought in 50 percent of those participants to Cebu, which then resulted to a very productive tour that generated prospective buyers.

Navarro shared that Cebu’s wellness industry has grown considerably, through the efforts of the Cebu Health and Wellness Council Inc., which is made up of the three major hospitals in Cebu, the Hotels, Restaurants, and Resorts Association, National Association of Independent Travel Agencies In the Philippines Inc., and government agencies like DTI, Department of Health and the Department of Tourism.

“We are already identifying and prioritizing the gaps in the industry,” Navarro added through the technical assistance of GTZ, to further promote the health tourism of the province.

She also said that aside from the mentioned departments, they will also be making other partnerships like with the airline industry which will highly benefit if more tourists will be coming to the province.

Navarro further explained that they wish to achieve their mission in positioning Cebu as the ultimate destination for quality medical and wellness tourism by showing a “distinctly Filipino wellness experience that is holistic, environment-friendly, professional and world-class.”

CHWC is now advocating on different matters concerning the industry such as the Spa Therapists Licensure Exams in Cebu, which is in line with the Sanitation Code of the Philippines as well as the appreciation of the Resolution No. 09-2075 submitted by the Cebu City Council last March 11, 2009 that supports DTI and the business and industry sector for the declaration of Cebu City as an “International Services Hub.”

Aside from this, CHWC is also having other means of promotion like branding and marketing slogans, promo brochures, CDs, banners and information materials to spread the word and have come up with health and wellness tourism packages that include the different services and the accommodations of the customers as well as culture and heritage tours in Cebu.

CHWC was founded in 2008 and is responsible for establishing links with local and international health and wellness organizations and acts as the policy making body of the health and wellness tourism industry in Cebu.