Travel fair focuses on natural attractions
Promoting more natural attractions is among the goals of organizers of this year’s Cebu Travel Catalogue International.
Calling 2018 a “banner year for tourism”, officials of the Cebu Alliance of Tour Operations Specialists (CATOS) and Cebu Travel and Tours Association (CTTA) partnered for the first time in four years to expand and improve the event.
Alice Queblatin, CATOS president, said the decision for the two major tourism organizations to collaborate was in response to the ongoing construction of the new terminal at the Mactan Cebu International Airport.
“This means more airlines will bring their planes to the ports of Cebu. This means more international flights coming in, and a strengthened domestic travel experience.
We want to establish a con- nection and make it work. One of our goals is to promote other local beach destinations apart from Boracay,” she said.
Queblatin said these “untouched wonders” include Coron and Puerto Princesa in Palawan, Siquijor and the beaches of Leyte, among others.
For this year’s event, the organizers also want to promote sea travel connections through their partner, OceanJet.
Aside from local beaches, Cebu Travel Catalogue will also feature attaractions from CATOS and CTTA’s partner regions.
Cooperation
CATOS vice president Marget Villarica said they are working with the Cebu Provincial Government, Lapu-Lapu City Government and the Regional Tourism Offices of Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Central Luzon, and the Cordillera Administrative Region.
“It’s a good opportunity for the regions, and a good opportunity as well for the locals to explore and look into domestic travel,” Villarica said.
More than 60 exhibitors have signed up to join the Travel Catalogue, which will run from Jan. 26 to 28.
For the past three years, the event was held at the Ayala Center Cebu.
But following the recent blaze that hit the Metro Department Store and Supermarket, there might be changes on the venue. Organizers said they will announce the final venue today.
At the event, tourists can plan their local and international trips with all-out deals on airfare and tour packages.
Baby Dy, CTTA vice president, said top travel and tour agencies will offer discounted packages and promo fares along along with other rewards and incentives during the three-day event.
Available international travel destinations include Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Dubai, Turkey, Maldives, New Zealand, North and South America, and most of Europe.
CTTA secretary Cookie Chan said payments for travel deals can be made in installments or through credit card.