Tourism facelift takes a backseat

CEBU, Philippines - Although Cebu’s tourism facilities badly need a facelift, but it will have to take a backseat as the province needs to prioritize the rehabilitation of the Yolanda affected towns.

Patria Aurora Roa, Tourism consultant of the provincial government tourism and international affairs, said the province has initially mapped out a plan to establish good tourism support facilities such as world-class bus stops, but the plan has to give way for immediate concerns such as providing livelihood to residents, rehabilitation of structures and houses to the typhoon affected towns

Roa, who is the former regional director of the Department of Tourism  said that the provincial government is serious on its goal to promote countryside tourism, the reason why  it has sustained the "Suroy-Suroy sa Sugbo" program. In fact, there is another scheduled Suroy-Suroy next month, on July 26, for the mid-west of Cebu tourism route.

Roa stated this following the report of the USAID assessment team on its competitiveness preliminary survey that identified the pitfalls of Cebu in providing basic tourism facilities.

Narzalina Lim, USAID project head and president of Asia Pacific Project Inc., revealed that dilapidated structures in the heritage sites in Cebu; lack of good toilet infrastructures and supporting services in tourists' destination stops; weak interpretative information that tells stories in a heritage destination or historical site; absence of site guides at Fort San Pedro; limited choices of merchandizing are just few of the tourism pitfalls that Cebu should focus on.

Roa further said that apart from making the Yolanda rehabilitation projects as the priority at this time, the unavailability of land appropriate for bus or tourists’ stops going North, South, or even in the Western parts of the province is one of the hindrances why the plan cannot be realized until now.

"These bus stops we have now are privately-owned," she said adding that if there is a landowner that will donate or offer a piece of land even at least 300 square meters to 400 square meters, the government can pursue this plan.

She said aside from providing good and clean toilets, part of the facility is also to have coffee shops, delicacy and souvenir stores, among others.

Travel operator Jenny Franco said that the demand now is going countryside, and promotion is also geared towards showcasing the attractions in the rural communities farther from the urban areas or Metro Cebu.

Franco, who is also an official of the Network of Independent Travel Agencies suggested that the government should also give incentives to private individuals who may want to offer a land, or pursue joint-venture projects with the government for this purpose. (FREEMAN)