Education tourism hub bid remains far-fetched

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu’s bid to maximize its potential as Education Tourism destination seems to be going nowhere as the academe remains uncooperative of the plan.

Back in 2010, private-sector led LEADs and the Cebu Business Club initiated the move to push Cebu as an education tourism destination through the Cebu Hub for English Excellence and banking on the province’s strength in ESL (English as Second Language) and medical related courses, among others.

CHELE was created to supposedly serve as advocacy group that will help Cebu take off initially as an ESL destination, towards the end goal of making Cebu as total education tourism destination.

In an interview yesterday, CBC president Gordon Allan Joseph said that the project is currently floundering due to lack of support from the education sector.

"It is sad that there is no interest from the education sector," said Joseph.

Although Cebu is gaining ground in the ESL niche specifically among Koreans, Japanese, this area still needs more push to encourage education players to invest on institutionalized ESL facilities.

Joseph said there are still a lot of work to be done in order to make Cebu as preferred ESL destination.

“This entails huge investments for educational institutions. At present they don't see the potential yet, it seems that they are distracted by some other things,” Joseph said.

Record showed that at present, Cebu registered nearly 10 thousand tourists who take up ESL in Cebu in a year. Most of them are Koreans. However, Joseph said if big facilities will be built and standard will be properly set up, attracting thousands of ESL students a month can be easily achieved.

CHELE is a brainchild of Cebu Leads Foundation, of which members are influential businessmen in Cebu, whose passion to formalize and develop the province's potential in attracting ESL students worldwide. (FREEMAN)