Exporter invests P100M for new tourism concept

CEBU, Philippines - Pointing out the need for Cebu to provide more diverse products and services to complement the growing number of tourists coming into the province, an entrepreneur recently thought of a new tourism idea.

Exporter Venus Genson is going to start-off an eco-tour, immersion  and home-stay program which is bound to help selected communities in Lilo-an in the northern part of Cebu.

Genson, who is also the president of PhilExport Cebu, said that the program will involve a cruise from Cordova in Mactan Island to her craft manufacturing plant in Lilo-an, showing the communities supporting her export company called “Venus Arts in Nature” as well as other attractions in the municipality.

In an interview, Genson said together with a Dutch partner, she is going to invest at least P100 million for the establishment of this service, while also preparing the community, which has supported her business over the years, to take advantage of the tourism business.

“I will incorporate a home-stay program for the tour—a total immersion for the tourists to see how the export products are made and how the communities are being supported by the export companies, like my company,” said Genson.

Genson, whose export firm has run for over 30 years now, said she has over 100 suppliers or families that have been partners of her firm. Now that the export market is not as profitable as before, she decided to seize the opportunity of promising tourism in order to sustain her business, as well as the livelihood for her supplier-communities.

Before the end of this year, Genson, together with her partner, will start the eTour and immersion package.

She said this is also part of the inclusive growth that the Philippines is trying to promote under the Aquino administration.

After doing the project study, Genson said she is confident that this kind of package will hit not only for the foreign visitors but also for the domestic market.

Using an electric boat that will bring tourists from the port of Cordova to Lilo-an, tourists will be made to stay in some of the communities’ houses that are prepared for home-stay and “they will see how it is to live in a sub-urban community in Cebu.”

Genson will also show to the visitors her export manufacturing plant, which makes arts and crafts like fashion accessories and home furnishings, among others.

This kind of tourism package is said to be what is lacking in Cebu and is what the tourists are demanding, specifically the adventurous Europeans.

If in other countries, immersio-n and home-stay programs including staying in a tourism department-accredited farmer families for home-stay in outskirts farms, Genson is going to pioneer bringing tourists to the manufacturing plant, where export products are made here in Cebu.

She said upon the introduction of this offer, she is going to partner with the Department of Tourism (DOT), as well as the tour agencies, to promote this kind of eTour package in Cebu.

Cebu, despite its attraction to tourists, had been urged to put in more alternative events and attractions in order for travelers to have wider options for activities other than beach, shopping and night life. /JMD (FREEMAN)