Osaka eyed for flight between Davao, Japan
THE CITY government is looking at Osaka as the destination in the proposed Davao-Japan direct air service which is expected to be launched this year.
“If it’s in Osaka, it’s going to be cheaper because it’s not a big airport. When you go to Tokyo, the fares are much higher from here in Davao and of course we have to consider the air traffic,” City Tourism Operations Office (CTOO) head, Generose Tecson said on Thursday during the regular I-Speak forum.
As the Japanese Consular Office being upgraded into a full Consulate-General, the proposed air connectivity is expected to be launched sooner as Japan has recognized the city as a tourism and investment destination.
Tecson said city government officials are in talks with an airline in Japan to discuss the possibility of mounting the Davao-Japan direct flight.
“We have started promotions already with our Japanese partners. We also have to ask the Department of Tourism to help us promote the city not only in Japan but also in destinations where we have existing international flights,” Tecson said.
Tecson also urged private sectors to come up with tourism destination ideas or travel packages in Davao to entice foreign tourists to visit the city.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited the home of President Rodrigo R. Duterte about two years ago as the two countries have been strengthening their bilateral ties.
Japanese visitors have been among the top tourists in the city, some of them even having relatives here as some areas within the city used to be communities populated by the Japanese, among them Mintal which was tagged as the Little Tokyo.