THE 11TH AMBASSADORS’ TOUR Philippine Reception
The Department of Tourismhosted dinner reception and “Philippine Tapestry” Cultural Presentation was the culmination of the four-day visit of the Ambassadors’ Tour delegates in Davao City.
For four days, 187 delegates led by Philippine Consul Generals based in the US were flown to Manila and onto Davao by PAL to experience the King City of the South up-close.
Their mission: to show the world that Davao is safe and remains highly attractive to tourists. They become the “Filipino ambassadors” in their own right engaging their respective communities with their fresh perspective of a new, safer and more beautiful Philippines.
No less than President Rodrigo Duterte gave this assurance: "You can walk the streets of Davao and feel safe." President and COO Jaime J. Bautista stressed that Davao remains an important destination with 8 flights daily between Manila and the Mindanao City utilizing the 199-seater A321 aircraft.
Philippine Airlines is the airline-of-choice in this year's 11th Ambassadors' Tour in Davao City organized by the Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB).
PAL Corporate Communications Manager, Cielo Villaluna, shared, “Our passenger load between Davao and Manila hovers between 70% - 80% since news about Martial Law. As such, we support initiatives which aim to change such mindset about Mindanao destinations. Upon assumption of the Duterte administration, high passenger loads were evident— 90% and above. The goal is to maintain the momentum,” said Cielo Villanueva, PAL spokesperson.
As per records of the City Tourism Office May 2017 tourist arrival was up by 9.5% at 181,000 visitors compared to 165,000 in 2016.
“Despite current state of Mindanao, there were still groups who pushed through with their visit and were happily surprised at how peaceful Davao is,” said City Tourism Officer, GeneRose Tecson.
These 187 delegates from Hawaii, Agana, Washington DC, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles who came to visit can also attest to how peaceful and safe Davao City is.
It was indeed one special night as the government and private sector joined hands to jointly promote a destination known for exotic Durian, beautiful resorts, rich flora and fauna and its fast-paced urban development. (With PR from PAL) Email me at jinggoysalvador@yahoo.com. For more lifestyle & travel stories, visit www.ofapplesandlemons.com & www. jeepneyjinggoy.com