Zamboanga readies new tour package for tourists

The Department of Tourism (DOT) in Region 9 is eyeing to create new tour packages catering to Visayan tourists following the launch of a new roll on/roll off (RoRo) service from Zamboanga to Dumaguete.

DOT Region 9 director Mary June Bugante said the operation of Archipelago Philippine Ferries Corp.’ s ( FastCat) vessel serving the Dapitan-Dumaguete route is expected to decrease travel time between the two cities and encourage more tourists from the Visayas to visit the Zamboanga Peninsula.

“This makes traveling faster for tourists. They can leave the Dumaguete port in the morning, then go back in the evening. It’s good for tourism, specifically for day trips,” Bugante said in an interview.

“So now, we’re looking at Visayas as a possible target market. Plus, of course, the fact that Cebu is now a major gateway of the Philippines. So we’re creating new tour packages for Dipolog and Dapitan,” she said.

The official said DOT Region 9 has started intensifying its tourism promotion campaigns to attract more Visayan tourists in view of this development.

“We’ve been active in travel fairs in Cebu and Bacolod. We want to attract more people to visit, especially the students. We’re asking our private sector and tour operators to engage in this market,” Bugante said.

FastCat started serving Dapitan-Dumaguete passengers in July 30 this year. It is operating new catamaran vessels, which shortened the traveling time from four to five hours to only three hours.

Other operators, such as George and Peter Lines Inc. Cokaliong Shipping Lines Inc., Aleson Shipping Lines Inc. and Ocean Fast Ferries are also operating in the DumagueteDapitan route.

Aside from this, Bugante said RoRo operators in the neighboring Dipolog City are also serving trips to Cebu.

Tourist arrivals in Region 9 reached 600,000 in 2015, with majority of the visitors being domestic travelers, according to the official.

Meanwhile, Bugante said the local government of Zamboanga remains keen on having Zamboanga International Aiport transferred outside the premises of the city.

“The city has really been pushing for the transfer of the airport, because right now, it is within the city proper. That is hampering to the growth of the city,” she said.

She said the local government has once again asked the national government to accept its proposal to move the airport 15 to 20 kilometers away from the city proper.