There is no other place in the country where shifts in motifs and revelries are so quick and apparent. If you are keen enough, in Cebu, you can certainly observe that department stores, hotels and restaurants, among others, are changing their motifs and decorations towards the end of the year into that of the Sinulog right away. Not only that, as early as October, the Sinulog beat can already be heard as the participating contingents of the Sinulog Mardi Gras practice their moves and perfect their rituals, as if, the Sinulog comes before Christmas.
As the second weekend of the year comes, the show begins. So that, this weekend, the deafening drums will start to roll and the energizing beats will begin to tickle everyone’s foot and buttock again. Truly, a lot more can be expected as the celebrations and competitions heighten towards next Sunday.
Then, as usual, the day after, the deafening drums are muted, the energizing beats dissipated and the equally revitalized crowd degenerated. That unequivocally means that the tourist-drawing week-long Sinulog 2025 revelries shall be finally over. Such is the reality of the Sinulog festivities as far as our tourism initiatives are concern. It gives us a week bounty. Considering that a year has fifty-two weeks, it simply means, a week of abundance and fifty-one weeks of scarcity.
It is true though that a good concept, the Suroy Suroy Sugbo (SSS), was then introduced by the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) several years ago. As the Province of Cebu got the handle and pursued it, the benefits from it are so apparent and have improved lives in the countryside.
Also, nationally, with Cebuana Sec. Christina Garcia Frasco at the helm of the Department of Tourism (DoT), the country surpassed its year-end target with 5.45 million arrivals of foreign visitors in the country in 2023 and brought in 5,949,350 in 2024. Clearly, they (DoT and the stakeholders) deserve the accolade for this trajectory.
By the looks of it, we might entertain that feeling of contentment. However, if we go deeper and browse through significant facts, we will surely find anything but satisfaction.
Yes, it is true that we are performing better and we should congratulate everyone who made this happen. However, if we take a closer look at how our ASEAN neighbors performed, we will surely realize how far behind we really are. For one, Thailand brought in 35,047,501 tourists in 2024.
Vietnam, a war-torn country several decades ago, brought in over 17.5 million foreign tourists in 2024 (that’s from 12.6 million in 2023). That’s more than double of what we have. South Korea, mainland China, Taiwan, the U.S., and Japan were the country’s main sources of tourists.
It is also noteworthy that Travel Daily News singled out factors that made these countries tourism relevant. In Vietnam, for instance, “tourists can enjoy cultural activities like exploring the old quarter of Hanoi, meeting local craftsmen, and touring historic sites like the Cu Chi tunnels.” Moreover, “Thailand provides diverse itineraries, combining sights like Bangkok’s vibrant city life, Chiang Mai’s mountains, and Kanchanaburi’s lush nature.” On the other hand, “Cambodia offers unique experiences from exploring the Angkor temples to visiting its southern beaches.” Remarkably, “these destinations are not just about sightseeing; they offer immersive cultural experiences, including the exploration of iconic movie sets and engagement in local arts and handicrafts.”
In comparison, though we have whale watching, etc. in Cebu, the country, as a whole, rely heavily on annual festivals like the Sinulog to draw foreign tourists. Are these enough? Not at all. We need to develop places of interests. The tour and travel operators, businessmen as they are, will certainly package tours if the products are saleable and reachable. Thus, clearly, through initiatives like these, tourism in the country will be a daily affair not a yearly or a quarterly event.
In doing so, however, we must not forget that like any business, the key to any success is continued patronage. This can only be achieved once we can develop a strong customer base that will not only give us repeat businesses but shall tell the world of our unparalleled capabilities.
More importantly, with Ninoy Aquino International Airport’s improvement (was an eyesore then and discouraged many tourists) through Ramon S. Ang’s initiative, this gateway will no longer be an excuse for a mediocre performance.