DOT 7 eyes Middle East as potential tourist market
The Department of Tourism Central Visayas office is now eyeing the Middle East as a potential tourist market considering the high spending pattern of Arab tourists.
Shalimar Tamano, regional director of the Department of Tourism in Central Visayas, said connectivity to key cities in Middle East should boost the Arab tourist market.
Qatar Airways earlier announced that Cebu is among the 16 new destinations it is opening between 2018 and 2019.
“Qatar Airways is tremendously excited to announce further expansion with a significant number of new destinations to be added to our extensive global network throughout 2018 and 2019,” Qatar Group chief executive Akbar al-Baker said in a statement.
The airline's announcement also came in time for the impending opening of Mactan-Cebu International Airport’s Terminal 2 by June this year.
Tamano said: "This means Cebu and Central Visayas will be better accessed by visitors from the Middle East, one of the markets that we have been wanting to grow."
The tourism official also explained this development is an "opportune time" as the local tourism sector is gearing up to be one of the world's preferred destinations for Halal tourism market.
"With this development, Cebu will most likely have an increase in tourist arrivals and benefit from the usual high spending patterns of Arab visitors, recorded to be $1,000 per person per visit," the DOT director said.
Connectivity between Cebu and Qatar could also boost business opportunities.
"Better connection could also mean that there will be investment and business opportunities as traffic and movements between central Visayas and the Middle East get stronger," Tamano stressed.
It was in December 2003 when Qatar Airways mounted flights from Doha, Qatar to Cebu.
But in March 2002, the airline stopped its direct flights from Doha to Cebu.
The reason was the airline could hardly grow its Cebu operations back then because its limited connectivity to other places in Visayas and Mindanao unlike Manila.