Davao looks into sports tourism

DAVAO CITY May 2 (PIA)-  To attract visitors and added revenues, Davao City is looking into sports tourism.

“From what we are spending in the summer festival, we will be raking in revenues from sports tourism.” says Neilwin Bravo, one of the organizers of the Davao’s Summerfest said.

Bravo who is in-charge of the sports component of the annual summer festival of Davao City said that the second staging of the summer fest is a more comprehensive vehicle for sports tourism.

First held in 2011, The Davao Summerfest is a festival with numerous activities which delves on sports, arts and culture. The 2012 Summerfest opened last April 27 at the Peoples Park.

According to Bravo the sporting events  would try to meet different aims among these include; identifying talented athletes, capability building for coaches and sports officials, propagating sports business and sports investments and promoting Davao as a sports destination.

Among the events include training camps, summer games and tournaments, sports conferences   (SWEAT or Sports Wellness, Exercise, Acclimatization and Training) and a sports expo for sports-related businessman and investors.

Bravo said that despite the lack of modern sports facilities like stadiums and sports complex, there are other sports disciplines which don’t need expensive facilities, among these extreme sports like mountain-biking and wakeboarding are among the games to be held during the festival.

He also said that the modern sports facilities of neighboring cities such as Panabo and Digos  would also benefit the City. Events held in those cities would eventually trickle down to Davao City being the gateway of the region.

Orly Escarilla of the Davao Summerfest said that the summer marketing campaign of the Department of Tourism-XI dubbed as One Summer Fun, which covers all summer festivals in the region, could benefit Davao City as nearly all visitors and participants in those activities would pass through Davao City.

He said in 2010 based City Tourism figures there were about 60,000 visitors in Davao in May of that year (based on hotel occupancy) and in 2011 of the same month, there were about 64,000 visitors recorded.

Escarilla said that part of the increase would be attributed to those attending the summer fest activities. He hopes that the 2012 Summer Fest would bring in more visitors to the City.  (PIA/RG Alama)