By Mia A. Aznar
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
TO DRAW in new markets to Cebu, the Department of Tourism (DOT) plans to entice travelers from neighboring countries to visit and shop in Cebu with a grand sale among local retailers.
DOT 7 Director Rowena Montecillo told Sun.Star Cebu that she plans to approach members of the Philippine Retailers Association to discuss plans to hold a grand sale in September, in celebration of tourism month.
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Unlike regular mall-wide sales, Montecillo said they want to make this an annual event to keep visitors coming and offer them something to look forward to every year. She added that September is also the start of the country’s peak season for travelers.
Big discounts
She said the concept is similar to the Great Singapore Sale, which Singapore holds each July. Many tourists book their trips between July and August to take advantage of big discounts from major retailers while also checking out tourist sites.
While malls regularly schedule their own sales with their retailers, Montecillo said they will request that all establishments will hold their sales simultaneously and give big discounts for the sale.
Should they succeed, Montecillo said visitors can look forward to booking trips to Cebu every September.
Encouraging
PRA-Cebu chapter chairman Jay Aldeguer said he was happy to hear the DOT 7 is coming up with new ways to bring in more tourists.
“The fact that the regional DOT is thinking of new ways to draw in more people to Cebu is encouraging.”
Aldeguer said September is also a very good time to hold a sale because it is a lean month for retailers.
He said that if sales are held during peak seasons, when customers come in droves, retailers will not want to mark down their prices because shoppers will spend anyway.
He is confident that retailers will be happy to cooperate with the DOT in this undertaking.
Montecillo is also looking forward to having a Cebu sales mission with the tourism private sector this April, targeting visitors from Singapore and Malaysia.
She said a good many Singaporeans and Malaysians have traveled to Cebu, with flights being offered direct to their key airports.
“They are spending on travel. Since they are very near the Philippines, why can’t we invite them?” she said, adding that the three to four-hour flights to Cebu are shorter than air travel to other destinations in the southeast Asian region.
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Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on January 19, 2012.
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