Cebu favorite destination of tourists

MANILA, Philippines - Cebu and Palawan were the top destination of local and foreign tourists in the first quarter of 2009, according to the Department of Tourism (DOT). The DOT also reported that tourist arrivals grew by 10.33 percent for a total of 1.3 million. A bulk of the number trooped to Cebu, with a share of 32 percent or 184,790 arrivals, followed by Boracay (12 percent), Davao City (11.9 percent), Camarines Sur (11 percent), Zambales (seven percent) and Bohol (five percent). Two famous destination sites in Palawan, the country’s so-called “last frontier," posted record-breaking growth as more flights were opened to these destinations. Puerto Princesa City and Coron’s tourist arrivals grew by 392 percent with visitors pouring in from Manila, Cebu, and Caticlan as well as Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia. The DOT added that water activities like wakeboarding and whale shark interactions have attracted tourists to the Bicol provinces of Camarines Sur and Sorsogon, respectively. Recreation activities in the pristine beaches of Zambales (Subic), Ilocos Norte and La Union also resulted in double-digit gains in tourist arrivals. “Overall, the volume of domestic tourists visiting key destinations grew faster at 13% while foreign arrivals recorded a 4% hike in the first quarter," the DOT said. Increased passenger volumes resulting from cheaper fares of both budget airline Cebu Pacific and the Philippine Airlines (PAL) have enticed tourists to go on holidays — both foreign and local — during the summer season, the DOT earlier said. - Mark Joseph Ubalde, GMANews.TV