GMR to get non-Pinoys to work in Cebu airport

With the influx of Asian tourists to Cebu, the management of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) plans to offer customer service jobs to native Koreans, Chinese and Japanese to assist foreign passengers on their travel concerns.

GMR-Megawide Cebu Airport Corp. chief executive adviser Andrew Harrison said his company is working with the Bureau of Immigration and Department of Labor and Employment 7 to hire at least one of these Asian nationals per eight-hour shift.

The plan is to tap Korean, Chinese and Japanese nationals who come to the Philippines to study English.

“People are more comfortable when they know they are dealing with people with the same background,” said Harrison.

These customer service representatives will be stationed in the airport and help in addressing the travel inquiries and concerns of their fellow citizens.

The initiative is part of Ce-

Construction of Terminal 2 is in full swing, and the terminal is slated to open in June 2018. GMR-Megawide Cebu Airport Corp.

bu’s positioning as a warm and friendly place to tourists, especially those who may have a hard time communicating in English, said Harrison.

Latest data from the Department of Tourism (DOT) national office show that Korea is the biggest visitor-generating market with total arrivals of 305,052 from January to February 2017, accounting for 25.19 percent of total foreign tourists. The United States is the second top source with 179,898 visitor arrivals, corresponding to 14.86 percent of the total.

China, in third spot, supplied 164,199 tourists, for a 13.56 percent share of inbound traffic. Japan followed with 105,473 visitors, then Australia with 47,983 arrivals.

Within the year, the Cebu airport operator also expects more Chinese nationals coming to Cebu, as it is slated to bring more Cebu to China flights. At present, there are four Cebu to China flights, but before yearend, this number will rise to 10, said Harrison. /