BOLSTERED by the incessant in-market tactical programs by the Department of Tourism (DOT) and its partner stakeholders—which include tour operators, hotels, resorts and the transportation sector—Chinese arrivals in Cebu posted a remarkable growth of 204 percent, while Hong Kong visitors went up by 163 percent in January 2009 during the Chinese New Year and other celebrations.

Panagbenga 2009 blog

Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano also attributed the increase in arrivals to three travel considerations of the Chinese market which include cost, Chinese-friendly culture, as well as quick and affordable facilitation of visa processing.

“We are strong on all three factors. We have value-for-money destination packages, pervasive Chinese influences, and visa-upon-arrival for tourists,” Durano stressed.

Nine direct chartered flights from Shanghai to Cebu also served to accommodate the huge inbound traffic of Chinese arrivals.

In addition to the growing number of Chinese visiting Cebu, the volume of Russian tourists also expanded by 133 percent while Indian arrivals went up by 108 percent.

“Russian visitors come over during their winter period to stay at an average of 12 to 15 days in our islands, to soak up the sun, shop and try out our adventure tours,” Durano said.

Indian tourists, on the other hand, find Cebu an ideal destination for both holiday and corporate incentive trips. “The holiday-makers from Indian stay for an average of 20 days, spending currency on shopping, entertainment and sightseeing,” Durano said.

With the substantial growth in visitor arrivals from China, Hong Kong, Russia and India, the number of tourists directly arriving at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport in January 2009 grew by five percent to 36,653.

China has a fast-growing economy, with an annual average of 40 million outbound tourists each spending an average of $3,000 per trip, according to independent surveys on China’s tourism industry. (PR)