CCCI and tourism groups to work closely with gov’t

Tourism players in the private sector, led by the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI), vowed to work more closely with the government to reinforce Cebu's tourism edge.

CCCI president Melanie Ng said that the chamber aims to work more closely with the Department of Tourism’s regional office (DOT-7) as well as with other tourism industry groups such as the Cebu Alliance of Tour Operations Specialists (CATOs).

Likewise, the Hotel Resort & Restaurant Association of Cebu (HRRAC) expressed a similar thrust saying closer collaboration with the government, both the local and national levels, is imperative in maximizing Cebu's charm for tourism.

HRRAC president Carlo Suarez said that the group will have a regular dialogue with DOT-7 to align their programs with the government’s thrusts in tourism.

DOT-7 regional director Joshur Judd Lanete II announced recently that big ticket tourism projects will be unveiled in Cebu next year, boosting the tourism edge of the province.

Lanete said Cebu will see a series of surprises in terms tourism investments, as grand, huge projects are already on the pipeline for 2018.

Ng said that there is a need for both ends (private and government) to work in the same page, as there is no doubt that tourism will further strengthen Cebu's economic muscle in the long term.

Ng added that closer collaboration with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) will also be worked on.

Dagooc