Strengthened Ties of Cebu, Shanghai Seen to Boost Province’s Tourism
A top official of an international trade body of Shanghai, China believes that strengthening the ties between his country and the Philippines will largely benefit the tourism industry of Cebu.
Yang Jianrong, head of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, said Chinese tourists spend more during their travel abroad compared to other nationals and choosing Cebu as their destination will be a big boost to the economic growth of the island.
Yesterday, Yang led the Chinese delegation visiting the Capitol where they invited Cebu’s business sectors and the Provincial Government to join the China International Import Expo in November, as well as the Belt and Road Brand Expo in June and July.
“I see the charm of the landscape here in Cebu, and you can present the tourist attractions here during the Belt and Road Brand Expo,” Yang said through an interpreter.
“I’m confident that two to three years from now, you can expect an increase of Chinese nationals from Shanghai coming to Cebu and from elsewhere in China,” he added.
Yang said Chinese President Xi Jinping endorsed the two major international trade fairs, saying that China wants to share the country’s gains and reforms by opening its market wider to the world.
Last year, the New York City-based travel magazine, Travel+Leisure named Cebu as the world’s second friendliest island while it was included in Conde Nast Travel’s Reader’s Choice Awards 2017, as among the top three best islands in the world.
Based on the study of the Cebu Investment and Promotions Office (CIPO), China ranked fourth in terms of tourist arrivals with 187, 335 Chinese nationals visiting Cebu in 2016.
Floreza Alpuerto, officer-in-charge of CIPO, presented Cebu’s geographical and economic profiles which make the island a better choice for foreign investments.
She said Cebu’s robust growth would continue in the coming years with the ongoing big ticket infrastructure projects, as well as those in the pipeline initiated by the private sector and the government.
These projects include the Terminal 2 of the Mactan Cebu International Airport, touted as the world’s first resort airport; the Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway Bridge; the Bus Rapid System; the Metro Cebu International Container Port, and the Cebu Rail Transit Project, among others.
Accessible by sea and air from international transports, Alpuerto said Cebu has 36 special economic zones, 26 of which are IT Parks and Centers; 7 for manufacturing; 2 for tourism and 1 for agro-industrial.
“Cebu is the gateway to global opportunities. Consider investing here,” Alpuerto said.
The meeting also resulted in setting up of a communication channel in order to further enhance collaboration between Shanghai and Cebu Province in the fields of trade and investment.
Present during the meeting were Bonifer Nacorda of the Human Resource Office, Rodel Bontuyan of the Provincial Planning and Development Office, together with leaders of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
www.cebu.gov.ph
