Cebu Set To Re-boost Tourism With Direct Flights, Cultural Revitalization, And Halal Tourism Initiatives Amid Decline

Sunday, July 27, 2025

Cebu is actively moving to reverse nan diminution successful tourism by focusing connected strategical initiatives that see enhancing formation accessibility, promoting Halal tourism, and strengthening taste and sustainable tourism efforts. The state intends to pull a much divers world market, particularly by aligning pinch world trends specified arsenic integer costs systems and eco-friendly travel. By focusing connected these cardinal areas, Cebu seeks to revitalize its tourism assemblage and position itself arsenic a competitive, inclusive, and sustainable destination successful nan world market.

Amid an 18% driblet successful tourer arrivals from Korea, Cebu is focusing connected strengthening its formation networks, enhancing its gastronomy offerings, and promoting community-based tourism to pull a much divers world audience.

During nan precocious held 23rd East Asia Inter-Regional Tourism Forum (EATOF), nan section authorities highlighted nan value of hosting nan event. It underscored Cebu’s strategical position arsenic a important subordinate successful nan region, creating caller avenues for bilateral tourism initiatives, visitant speech programs, and collaborative projects. These efforts purpose to revitalize connections pinch existing markets while tapping into caller world ones.

A nonstop result of nan 23rd East Asia Inter-Regional Tourism Forum (EATOF) is Cebu’s ongoing discussions regarding nonstop flights to South Korea, aimed astatine reversing nan important diminution successful Korean arrivals. Authorities are hopeful that improving connectivity will reignite liking among Korean tourists.

The 18% driblet successful Korean visitors has been described arsenic “unprecedented” and necessitates urgent action. One of nan cardinal challenges highlighted is nan increasing title from Vietnam, which offers charismatic recreation packages and precocious integer costs systems that supply visitors pinch greater convenience and savings. Many Korean travelers are progressively choosing destinations that characteristic seamless integer costs options, a inclination that Vietnam has excelled in, but Cebu is still moving to implement.

To reside this, Cebu is reevaluating its tourism budgets. The provincial authorities is considering shifting portions of nan ₱200-million Pasigarbo sa Sugbo money to amended taste exhibitions, upgrade facilities, supply tourism unit training, and heighten promotional efforts locally and internationally. Additionally, portion of nan ₱50-million Suroy-Suroy Sugbo fund will beryllium redirected to fortify broader tourism initiatives, aiming for a much agile and strategical consequence to evolving tourer preferences and world competition.

Cebu is besides focusing connected Halal Tourism arsenic a cardinal strategy to go much inclusive and entreaty to Muslim visitors. This inaugural ensures that food, accommodations, and services meet Islamic guidelines, making Cebu a much charismatic destination for Muslim travelers. The provincial authorities is moving intimately pinch stakeholders to connection Halal-certified eating options and summation consciousness of Halal practices among tourism workers.

During nan EATOF event, delegates were introduced to a sustainable tourism showcase astatine nan Bojo River successful Aloguinsan. This community-based ecotourism destination, which received nan UNWTO Best Tourism Villages Award successful 2021, exemplifies nan synergy betwixt tourism and sustainability.

Cebu’s domiciled arsenic nan big for nan 2026 EATOF General Assembly is already being planned, pinch a attraction connected showcasing nan province’s taste heritage, eco-tourism potential, and its readiness to meet world tourism trends.

EATOF, formed successful 2009 by 9 section authorities units from East Asia, intends to foster communal improvement among its members. The statement now includes 10 personnel provinces from 10 countries, which are Cebu (Philippines), Gangwon (Korea), Jilin (China), Luang Prabang (Laos), Quang Ninh (Vietnam), Sarawak (Malaysia), Siem Reap (Cambodia), Tottori (Japan), Tuv (Mongolia), and Yogyakarta (Indonesia).

In different developments, outbound travelers are group to use from an improved recreation acquisition acknowledgment to nan integration of recreation taxation declaration into nan e-Travel system. Launched connected July 24 by nan Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and nan Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), nan caller strategy allows passengers to state and salary their recreation taxes digitally via mobile devices utilizing nan eGovPH Super App and nan eTravel portal. This integer process is designed to trim paperwork and waiting times, allowing travelers to complete nan basal steps pinch ease.

DICT Undersecretary for Special Concerns, Christine Faye Condez-De Sagon, emphasized that this invention is not conscionable astir technological progress, but besides astir fulfilling promises to heighten nan recreation experience. TIEZA Chief Operating Officer Mark Lapid and Department of Tourism Undersecretary Shahlimar Hofer Tamano some welcomed nan initiative, recognizing it arsenic a important boost to nan Philippines’ tourism sector.