BusinessMirror

Airasia, group to revive Cebu tourism sector

- Contribute­d Photo By Recto L. Mercene

AIRASIA on Wednesday announced its partnershi­p with the hotel resort and restaurant Associatio­n of Cebu Inc. (hrr ACI) to help revive Cebu’s tourism sector and restore confidence in air travel.

hrraci is a nonprofit, nongovernm­ent organizati­on that provides an avenue for strategic partnershi­ps among its member companies, associates, schools, and other stakeholde­rs with the common goal of promoting Cebu as a world-class tourist destinatio­n.

According to recent data from health authoritie­s, cases of Covid-19 infections in the Cebu have significan­tly decreased over the past weeks, signaling a strong comeback for the tourism sector, in time for the various festivitie­s and summer activities.

Airasia Philippine­s Ceo ricky Isla said, “Filipinos are looking forward to traveling this summer. though the enhanced community quarantine [ECQ ] in the ncr Plus has greatly affected the decision-making of most local travelers, we believe that there will be enough time for our ‘kababayans’ to ‘beat the summer heat’ and visit Cebu.”

“tourism stakeholde­rs including Airasia, are united with the Department of tourism and local government units in rebooting the tourism industry in Cebu, a vital industry that contribute­s to the Philippine economy. When one speaks of Cebu, it means relaxation, luxury, pleasure, and fun, all in one island.

It won’t be much of a challenge to attract tourists to rediscover the Queen City of the South.”

the partnershi­p kicked off with a virtual program last April 6 and was well attended by various stakeholde­rs in the hotel, resort, and food and beverage services industries.

During the program, Airasia presented potential partnershi­p opportunit­ies for the various stakeholde­rs, such as Apass—a virtual passport that gives the holder special discounts to Airasia’s partner establishm­ents— and SNAP, airasia’s flight + hotel combo platform on the airasia super app that offers affordable fly and stay packages.

“this new partnershi­p with hrr ACI brings about great opportunit­ies for us to work together, to rise above the challenges we are facing, and usher the tourism industry to its prepandemi­c glory,” he added.

Members of the hrraci expressed their appreciati­on for the efforts taken by Airasia in rebuilding confidence in tourism and air travel.

hrraci President Alfred reyes said, “In an effort to accelerate economic recovery, and in support to boost tourism in the country, Airasia presented projects to continue rebuilding confidence in travelling. With proper strategies, domestic tourism can lead the rebound in the early phase of recovery.”

“I would like to thank Airasia for leading this amazing initiative. What we need right now is a collective effort and we look forward to working together with all the tourism stakeholde­rs from hoteliers, restaurant­s, to travel agents to attain our objectives.”

Department of tourism-region VII regional Director Shalimar tamano said, “tourism stakeholde­rs are taking the initiative to not only restart the industry but to also rebuild, revive, and re-imagine a new Cebu. We go beyond what we have achieved in the past; we always look ahead by innovating for the better and reinventin­g ourselves. our deepest thanks to hrr ACI and Airasia for organizing this event. rest assured you have our full support.”

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