Tourism Stakeholders Gear Up for Two-Day Tourism and Investment Forum

Cebu as an investment haven and tourism hub is the focus of the Tourism and Investment Forum, a highlighted event of Cebu Business Month (CBM) that carries the theme “Improving Cebu’s Competitiveness in Tourism to achieve Inclusive Growth” slated for June 19 to 20 in different venues, wherein business leaders, stakeholders, corporate or company owners, CEOs and investors will converge.

The first day of the forum takes place at the Marco Polo Plaza Hotel, from 8:00AM until 3:00PM. It will showcase investment opportunities found in Cebu and provide a business-to-business environment with open dialogue, share views and networking between participating representatives from national and local governments and potential investors.

On the following day, CBM’s Tourism and Investment Committee will also mount a roundtable discussion on the economic development of Cebu, and a tourism and investment night, beginning at 5:30PM, at the Radisson Blu Hotel Cebu, which will highlight an awarding ceremony and a tribute to Cebu’s businessmen and investors.

The symposium is aimed at creating an entity that will promote Tourism and Investment for Cebu under the umbrella of the Cebu Chamber and Industry Inc. or CCCI, which will serve as the “Engine of Cebu’s Economic Growth towards Global Competitiveness”.

This non-profit body will seek to improve Cebu’s competitiveness in thetourism industry in order to achieve inclusive growth globally particularly on Food Security, Employment Generation and Stability, Sustainability and Resilience. It will also come up with development programs for Cebu LGUs’ Business Development Councils to hopefully develop a culture and mindset of business and tourism.

Along with the creation of this entity, the forum aims to highlight major ways and processes to accelerate regional economic integration, improve the regulatory environment, expand connectivity, strengthen ECOTECH and human capacity development, and mainstream SMMEs.

This forum will also serve as part of the preparation for the ASEAN Integration 2015, and sustain efforts towards attracting Tourism and Foreign Direct Investments into Cebu well beyond 2015.

The Tourism and Investment Forum is one of the highlight events of Cebu Business Month (CBM) 2014 Activities, which is spearheaded by CCCI.

Since 1996, the CBM has become an institutionalized month-long jubilee of the business community founded by CCCI, the only ISO-certified chamber in the Philippines. CBM features a series of events that highlight and inspire more successes in the Cebu Business Community as well as advocate, share and provide a more dynamic and optimistic road for a sustainable business atmosphere in Cebu and the neighboring islands.