Davao Region hits PHP26.7-B tourism receipts in 2015

• Source:http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?nid=6&rid=848697
• Wednesday, January 20, 2016

(PNA), BNB/LCM/DIGNA D. BANZON/LDP

DAVAO CITY, Jan 20 (PNA) -- The Department of Tourism in the Davao Region has reported an estimated of tourism receipts at PHP26.7 billion for the first 10 months in 2015.

This was disclosed by DOT 11 regional director Roberto Alabado III who said that the figure was based on the industry performance for travel and tourism from January to September last year.

However, Alabado said the figure will still increase with the remaining two months still being processed but already noted a 10.2 percent growth compared to the performance last year of the same period.

He attributed the ten months positive performance to tourist arrivals of domestic travelers at 1,857,099, foreign travelers at 121,604 and overseas Filipino, 4,870.

Compared to last year, he said domestic visitors registered only some 1,690,729, foreign tourists, 104,700 with a slightly higher number for overseas Filipinos at 5,198.

The holding of major projects and activities added to the continuing promotion of the region citing among others the participation in Tourism and Trade Bazaars at the Philippine Travel Mart, Madrid Fusion, he said.

He also said that there were familiarization tours for media coming from other countries and for the ADB directors.

There was also the Singapore marketing, the Mt. Apo Boulder Face Challenge with participants both from international and domestic, the Samal – Talikud Convergence, and the hosting of Zeghram Cruise ship.

Alabado also reported some major MICE events in the region namely, the midyear PICE Convention, the Palarong Pambansa, Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines, Philippine College of Physicians Midyear Convention, Davao International Travel Expo, NAITAS General Membership and Business Meeting, Philippine Nurses National Convention and Insular Life Convention.

The other contributor to a good performance was the increased connectivity. Alabado cited Air Asia that re-established the Davao-Manila-Davao, Cebu Pacific launched their Davao direct flight to Singapore and SilkAir added more Davao-Cebu-Singapore flights.

In 2015, new tourism products were developed with the creation of new tour packages and the development of new attractions.

He also mentioned an enhanced agritourism through Asia’s Fruit Market, the new Samal tour packages which included agricultural tour, the Taklobo tour and the Talikud tour, the Marilog Highland Agritour.

The development of cultural villages was among the efforts undertaken last year focusing on the Bagobo Cultural Village and the potential Sangab Mandaya Cultural Village, he said.

As to human resource development, Alabado said the region was a recipient of the ADB-CIDA Industry Skills Training Project of 6 grantees to receive free trainings to cover human resource management, CB tourism, security certification, etc. with 414 trainees.

There were also some 40 various trainings for the region’s tourism stakeholders were conducted on homestay program, customer service, communication skills and getting to know you tourists with 2,099 persons were trained.