Accessibility, promotion need to push Davao City for foreign tourists

DAVAO CITY, Mar 13 (PIA) An official of the City Tourism Office revealed that foreign tourist arrival does not even reach 10 percent of the total number of tourists that visit the city.

Lysette Marquez, acting city tourism officer lamented that only Singapore is the only international destination that flies directly to Davao City.

She said the situation calls for the national agencies like the Department of Transportation and Communication and the Department of Tourism to help promote Davao City internationally.

“The primary reason is to encourage linkages,” Marquez said.

She observed that while the Department of Tourism promotes generally the tourist destinations in the country, actual promotion of Davao City remains wanting, primarily due to the travel advisories issued by foreign countries about the peace and order in Mindanao.

Marquez said that while there are countries that isolate Davao City as a peaceful destination in their advisories on Mindanao, generally, the city is still underscored being the hub of the aircrafts and in Mindanao.

She said that given the more improvements to be done in the tourism promotion of Davao, there is no let-up in their efforts to make the city as a destination for foreign tourists.

Marquez also pointed out that accessibility and peace and order are two important factors that can spur the tourism industry.

She said healthy competition is encourage among airlines in order for consumers to have better options to come here.  (PIA 11-Joey Sem G. Dalumpines)