EDITORIAL - And the winners are the Cebuanos

Today, all roads will lead to Cebu for the staging of the Cobra Energy Drink IronMan 70.3 triathlon starting at the Shangri-La Mactan Resort and Spa. The event will be the biggest ever to be held in the country and organizers are hopeful that it would be successful as in the previous event held in Cebu.

As Cebu basks in the limelight, Cebuanos will brace for an awful traffic scenario. Yesterday, The FREEMAN came up with an advisory that announced traffic rerouting in the four cities of the Metro. Those with no important appointment are advised to stay away from major thoroughfares.

However, on the other hand, the big event today does one very important thing of pushing the local tourism further upward.  With thousands of national and foreign triathlon enthusiasts converging in Cebu for the competition, it is the local economy that is the ultimate winner.  

Now that Cebu is no longer the favorite destination for tourists, the event is one best opportunity for local tourism players to showcase the island to the world. As those athletes will slug it out, what an opportune time for those in the industry to bring out the best Cebu can offer to the visitors.

Gone are the days that a visit to Cebu would not be complete without taking a pose at Magellan’s Cross or eagerly rummaging piles of dried fish at Taboan Market.  Those attractions have already taken steps toward irrelevance as Cebu mutates into a prime destination for wellness and sports.

If Camarines Sur managed to take the top spot as the number one tourist attraction in the country through its famed water sports facility, Cebu could certainly do better. Given its alluring beauty and modern infrastructure, Cebu is well positioned to grab largest portion of the pie.

Although the province has what it takes to be the most important thing in the tourism industry, there is still so much to be done. For example, Cebu still lacks world-class sports facilities.

However, as we welcome the participants to the biggest triathlon tournament, it is with great pride for Cebuanos to trumpet before the world that Cebu has evolved into a perfect venue for big sporting activities.