HAS CAMSUR BEATEN CEBU?

Cebu City Rep. Tomas Osmeña of the south district said he believes lack of focus and wrong priorities were the reason Cebu was dropped from the list of Top Island Destinations in the 2010 magazine survey by Conde Nast.

He said Camarines Sur has beaten Cebu as a tourism site, especially for water sports enthusiasts even if it lacks an international airport or Cebu’s natural assets.

“This will come as a reality check to the Cebuanos that CamSur, 34th from poorest in the Philippines, is now one of the top 10 richest province,” the congressman said.

Osmeña said Camarines Sur officials were more effective in promoting their province because they don't focus on themselves.

“As far as Cebu City is concerned, we just have to do it without the province and I think we can do it,” Osmeña said.

At the Capitol, Governor Garcia said Cebu province still remained the top tourism destination in the Philippines.

The governor, has had bitter exchanges with Osmeña on many issues, said the congressman has been giving out wrong information without proof.

“I don't think that there should even be a competition (between Camsur and Cebu)...I don't think it should be patriotic for anyone or even more so to trying to put down his own province against another.”

Camarines Sur, the largest among the six provinces of the Bicol Region, is known for its white sand beaches and water adventure sports.

Among its attractions is the three-year-old Camsur Water Sports Complex that offers facilities for wakeboarding, water skiing, kneeboarding and wake skating.

Camarines Sur also attracted 20,000 runners in the country and the world when it hosted a full 42K marathon last September.

Osmeña joined Vice Mayor Joy Agustus Young and Cebu City councilors for a four-day “lakbay aral” or field trip to Camarines Sur this week.

They toured the water sports facilities and were shown the approaches taken by Camarines Sur to develop their tourism industry. The province gained international recognition when it hosted the Ironman triathlon.

Osmeña credited Camarines Sur Gov. Luis Raymund “LRay” Villafuerte Jr. who he said was “very focused and dedicated in selling the province.”

“He (Villafuerte) creates a lot of activities. He invites the national media, and he goes out of his way to show the province,” the congressman said.

Osmeña said Cebu was left behind because the tourism thrust was set on the wrong priorities.

“Our governor likes to show her face. That's all she wants, to show her face. How will that help tourism in Cebu?” he said a reference to Garcia’s frequent appearance in advertisements and marketing materials of Cebu province activities like the Suroy-Suroy, the annual Horse Show and Riding Competition renamed Governor’s Cup, sports events, award ceremonies, etc.

Governor Garcia, however, cited figures of the Department of Tourism (DOT), which showed that tourist arrivals in Cebu reached 734,531 from January to March compared to Camarines Sur's 348,344.

Updated data from the DOT in Central Visayas showed that Cebu's tourist arrivals from January to September reached 1,313,585.

Last year, tourist arrivals reached 1,615,982 (January to December) or higher than the 1,566,457 visitors who went to Camarines Sur in 2009.

Garcia said Cebu also enjoys 420 domestic flights weekly as well as 70 international flights. There are also an average of 20 chartered international flights weekly.

The governor said using her face in promoting Cebu province was a strategy based on the communication models of Marshall Mcluhan who is best known for his axiom “the medium is the message.”

“I do use my face. Of course there are those that don't, pareha niya, nga pleasant man gihapon tanaw akong naong. Tingali ug ang iyang naowng ang ibutang wala gyud siguro mo join sa Suroy-Suroy...,” said Garcia .

She said Governor Villafuerte whom she described as a good friend, also used his face in promoting his province.

“He himself promotes wake boarding with a picture of himself on a wake board. It suits him because he’s good looking and well built. He doesn't have a bulging stomach. He looks good.”

“The subliminal message in any activity that involves tourism, is that if the chief executive's face is made part of the promotion, the provincial government stands squarely behind that project. That sends a very important message loud and clear.”

Osmeña said that unlike Camarines Sur, Cebu province was not surrounded by efficient personnel to help oversee the administration’s plans specially on tourism.

“The people around her (Garcia) have no talent. They all make sipsip ... ego tripping, “ Osmena said.

He revived his criticism against the P800 million Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) as Garcia’s “failed” project for Cebu’s livelihood and tourism.

“She likes grand entrances. She likes to have grandeur but not for the province but herself,” he added.

Garcia, however, said that in her six-year-old administration, she has done a lot to improve infrastructure for tourism and improve the image of Cebu for visitors such as her latest trip to the province of Hainan in the People’s Republic of China.

Garcia said Cebu's acceptance into an exclusive international islands group was aimed at promoting tourism.

“We have scored a tremendous image promotion in Hainan,” Garcia said.

The Inter-Island Tourism Forum Policy (ITOP) incldues the best islands for tourism such as Hainan, Bali in Indonesia, Jeju Island in South Korea, Prince Edward in Canada, Southern Province in Sri Lanka, Phuket Island in Thailand, Okinawa in Japan, Kampong Cham in Cambodia, and among others.

In the meeting at Hainan, Cebu was present on observer status.

Next year on Jeju Island in South Korea, Cebu will be accepted as a regular member of the ITOP, said Garcia.

Governor Garcia said the province is putting up clean comfort rooms in the towns especially for tourists. She said lighting dark streets along the highway is the responsibility of the national government since these highways are under the Department of Public Works and Highways.

“We are also doing something about it...we help our towns light up their major thoroughfares. We have distributed thousands of electric posts and street lampposts,” she added.

Congressman Osmeña said Cebu's tourism plan was not integrated.

“Here, it’s to each his own. There is no interconnection between all these resorts. Each one has to have their own island hopping facility. There is no integration,” he said.

The congressman said he has a long term plan to put together tourism establishments like resorts, shopping malls and clubs at the South Reclamation Project (SRP).

“At the SRP, we will make things different there. There is going to be a very strong integration. “ he said.

This will include trips to Bohol, scuba diving trips, island hopping trips and a water sports site.

Osmeña said Russian, Taiwan and Korean markets will be among their targets because they are an internationally emerging market.

He also said that they still need to study tourism condition to point out more viable target markets.

“We don’t make something we like and sell it to the world. We have to find out what the world wants,” Osmeña said. /with a report from Correspondent Edison delos Angeles

source: CEBU DAILY

Comments (0)