By Abigail L. Ho
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 20:23:00 08/23/2009
MANILA, Philippines - Fly to local destinations for just one peso! Travel to the United States for less than $500!
As the global recession rages on, both the local and Asian travel industries are relying on attractive promotions and discounts by airlines to stay afloat.
According to the Abacus Travel Sentiment survey, released recently by travel solutions provider Abacus International, there were some “green shoots” in a number of markets, including the Philippines.
The study revealed that bookings in the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, China, Pakistan, Nepal and Kazakhstan increased in the first half, vis-à-vis the same period last year.
“This is a positive indication that people are still traveling and that there are opportunities out there for businesses,” Abacus International president and chief executive Robert Bailey said in a statement posted on the company’s official website.
“Businesses must water the ground and tend these green shoots carefully by making the effort to understand local conditions so they can effectively influence consumers’ decision-making process,” he added.
Here in the Philippines, what mainly kept the travel industry afloat were the “attractive promotions and discounts” offered by airlines to stimulate travel, the survey revealed.
“Philippine Airlines’ appealing promotional fares to selected cities on its international network could have motivated Filipinos to take to the skies earlier this year,” it said.
Recession casualty
These promos included the offer of round-trip airfares to long-haul destinations such as San Francisco and Los Angeles for as low as $450.
But travel had been confined mostly to individuals in the first half, the study showed, as the corporate travel segment remained sluggish.
In China, for example, a third of the travel agents polled named the corporate travel segment as the biggest casualty of the economic downturn, with the negative impact estimated to range from 15-20 percent.
Only 16.7 percent of those surveyed said they still expected some growth from the sector, while a mere 6.7 percent believed the recession had little or no impact at all on the segment.
Travel agents in China were particularly affected by this drop in corporate travel, the Abacus study revealed, as most of them had a higher percentage of the corporate segment in their businesses.
“The financial pressures faced by companies have forced them to be more stringent about granting permission for staff travel. This has forced the corporate travel booking process to evolve and greater attention is now being placed on the pre-trip portion of the travel booking process,” Bailey said.
Airlines had also started to feel the pinch of the decline in corporate travel, he said, as this segment usually had the high-yield passengers.
Creative marketing would have to be employed to attract the fewer business travelers that were still taking to the skies, he said.
Still bullish
Despite this dampener, he remained fairly optimistic that the Asian travel industry would be able to weather the trials dealt by the global recession and the spread of the Influenza A(H1N1) virus.
He said industry players in Asia had actually done a pretty good job of staying afloat.
“Without their efforts and determination, green shoots that have started to break through the parched ground would not have appeared. What it takes now is for industry members to unite, collaborate and together innovate to address the challenges the industry is facing so that they can be turned into future opportunities. By doing so, the industry will create conditions conducive for more shoots to spring up and thrive,” he said.
These opportunities for growth could be found in the intra-Asia and domestic travel segments, he said, as long-haul international travel continued to be on the downtrend.
“The complex economic, health and safety issues facing consumers have resulted in a shift in travel patterns. Travel agents responding to the Abacus Asia Travel Sentiment survey indicated intra-Asian travel will grow in popularity in the short term,” he said.
The Abacus study revealed that as many as 40 percent of travel agents in South Asia and 51.7 percent in China believed that short getaways within the region would be the most preferred travel category among travelers over the next three months.
Domestic travel, on the other hand, would be the main preference of travelers, according to 31.7 percent of agents in South Asia and 34.5 percent of those in China.
“Faced with decreased discretionary budgets for travel as well as concerns over health and safety issues, leisure travelers are cutting back on visits to international destinations. Travel preference has shifted toward domestic holidays as these trips cost less,” Bailey said.
“They also offer peace of mind as travelers may feel safer and more confident when they stay within the familiar environment of their own countries. These domestic tourists are now the lifeline of tourism businesses and their expenditures come as much needed revenue to airlines, hotels and others in the industry,” he added.
Only 25 percent of respondents in South Asia and 10.3 percent of those polled in China said long-haul travel to the US, Europe and the Middle East would be the strongest performing segment over the next three months.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
New local carrier picks Clark as base
By Tonette Orejas
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 00:01:00 08/22/2009
CLARK FREEPORT — FIVE months ahead of its operations to serve the Taiwan, Macau and Middle East routes, Spirit of Manila Airlines unveiled here recently its MD-83 plane.
Transportation Secretary Leandro Mendoza and Clark International Airport Corp. president Victor Jose Luciano led the rites at the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport in Clark.
The MD-83 will be used for the Clark-Taiwan flights, Luciano said.
The firm will complete its Clark fleet—another MD-83, Boeing 747-300 and 747-400—by November, he said.
The Middle East flights to Qatar, Dubai, Bahrain and Kuwait aim to serve overseas Filipino workers in Northern and Central Luzon and draw in more tourists to the four regions north of Metro Manila.
Luciano said Spirit of Manila Airlines was the “first large local carrier” to set up base at the DMIA, a 2,500-hectare airport left by the United States military in 1991.
This is the first time that a Clark-based air carrier will serve the Clark-Taiwan route, a move that then President Fidel Ramos had been advocating since 1993, Luciano said.
Mendoza said the firm’s entry would boost local tourism and serve OFWs.
The airport hosts cargo forwarder UPS, Asiana Airlines and domestic and international budget carriers like Cebu Pacific.
Singapore Airlines and Cebu Pacific have partnered to build an aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul facility at the DMIA.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 00:01:00 08/22/2009
CLARK FREEPORT — FIVE months ahead of its operations to serve the Taiwan, Macau and Middle East routes, Spirit of Manila Airlines unveiled here recently its MD-83 plane.
Transportation Secretary Leandro Mendoza and Clark International Airport Corp. president Victor Jose Luciano led the rites at the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport in Clark.
The MD-83 will be used for the Clark-Taiwan flights, Luciano said.
The firm will complete its Clark fleet—another MD-83, Boeing 747-300 and 747-400—by November, he said.
The Middle East flights to Qatar, Dubai, Bahrain and Kuwait aim to serve overseas Filipino workers in Northern and Central Luzon and draw in more tourists to the four regions north of Metro Manila.
Luciano said Spirit of Manila Airlines was the “first large local carrier” to set up base at the DMIA, a 2,500-hectare airport left by the United States military in 1991.
This is the first time that a Clark-based air carrier will serve the Clark-Taiwan route, a move that then President Fidel Ramos had been advocating since 1993, Luciano said.
Mendoza said the firm’s entry would boost local tourism and serve OFWs.
The airport hosts cargo forwarder UPS, Asiana Airlines and domestic and international budget carriers like Cebu Pacific.
Singapore Airlines and Cebu Pacific have partnered to build an aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul facility at the DMIA.
Guiuan the next Boracay?
Guiuan’s secrets revealed
By Tina Arceo-Dumlao
Philippine Daily Inquirer
THAT A top-class resort exists at all in the town of Guiuan at the southern tip of Eastern Samar causes many a raised eyebrow.
Guiuan, after all, is not exactly at the top of the list of favorite destinations of business and leisure travelers. The distinction still belongs to such cities as Baguio in the north, Cebu in the Visayas and Davao in Mindanao.
Lawyer Manuel Go of Cebu, however, firmly believes that it will only be a matter of time before the secrets of this quiet, laid back second class municipality are revealed and it gets its fair share of visitors.
This explains why he and some partners decided to invest in the multi-million The Surf Camp on Guian’s Calicoan Island, which is bounded on the east by the Pacific Ocean and Leyte Gulf on the west.
The Surf Camp on Calicoan’s ABCD Beach opened its large wooden doors to the public in 2006 and the exclusive resort –easily the best in Eastern Visayas – was designed with relaxation and romance in mind.
There are only seven cottages set far enough from each other to ensure utmost privacy, and these spacious and tastefully appointed villas inspired by Thai, Balinese and Filipino architecture are equipped with required modern conveniences such as a television, hot shower and air conditioner.
Complementing the topnotch accommodations are the high quality of service and the acceptable range of food and beverages.
Guests can choose to have their hot meals and snacks brought to their villas, or they can enjoy the company of their fellow guests at the main cottage. And if they feel like throwing a party for family and friends, The Surf Camp staff is ready and willing to prepare a feast.
But the real attraction of The Surf Camp is its access to the best waves in this part of the Philippines, which are perfect for novice and experienced surfers alike.
Summer months are ideal for beginners training on gentle two-to-three-foot waves, while the more seasoned surfers can come during the latter months of surfing season that runs from April to November for the bigger, more challenging waves.
Visitor arrivals reach their peak in October because of the Eastern Samar Surfing Crown, a competition first held in 2005.
Backing the competition, which is part of the Philippine Surfing Circuit, are the Department of Tourism, the provincial government of Eastern Samar, the municipal government of Guiuan and the Philippine Surfing Federation.
Many of The Surf Camp’s guests, however, prefer to just sit back and relax on their lounge chairs facing the sea. The sound of silence is just too soothing to be ignored.
Among the first visitors of The Surf Camp are honeymooners from Korea who are only too happy to take either the commercial flight to Tacloban and then the two-hour shuttle service to Calicoan or The Surf Camp’s private plane from Cebu to the Guiuan airport, which once saw the landing of bombers during World War II.
These days, The Surf camp is hosting more company outings and reeling in an increasing number of corporate travelers yearning for a break from their routine.
It is this anticipation of more travelers going to the Surf Camp and Guiuan that prompted Smart Communications Inc. to invest in the upgrade of the telecommunications system in the area so that visitors would still be able to stay in touch with their office or families through their mobile phone or laptops.
Smart already boasts of the most extensive mobile phone coverage for basic services such as text messaging and phone calls, thus its next step is to expand its mobile broadband services.
“We realize that many tourists and travelers are only able to go on vacation if they get to stay in touch, like check their email,” says Smart spokesperson Ramon Isberto,” That is why we are improving not just our GSM network but also our broadband services in tourist destinations like Guiuan.”
This should give travelers one more reason to get off the beaten path and take a break in rustic Guiuan.
When in Cebu City, please visit gregmelep.com for your real estate and retirement needs.
By Tina Arceo-Dumlao
Philippine Daily Inquirer
THAT A top-class resort exists at all in the town of Guiuan at the southern tip of Eastern Samar causes many a raised eyebrow.
Guiuan, after all, is not exactly at the top of the list of favorite destinations of business and leisure travelers. The distinction still belongs to such cities as Baguio in the north, Cebu in the Visayas and Davao in Mindanao.
Lawyer Manuel Go of Cebu, however, firmly believes that it will only be a matter of time before the secrets of this quiet, laid back second class municipality are revealed and it gets its fair share of visitors.
This explains why he and some partners decided to invest in the multi-million The Surf Camp on Guian’s Calicoan Island, which is bounded on the east by the Pacific Ocean and Leyte Gulf on the west.
The Surf Camp on Calicoan’s ABCD Beach opened its large wooden doors to the public in 2006 and the exclusive resort –easily the best in Eastern Visayas – was designed with relaxation and romance in mind.
There are only seven cottages set far enough from each other to ensure utmost privacy, and these spacious and tastefully appointed villas inspired by Thai, Balinese and Filipino architecture are equipped with required modern conveniences such as a television, hot shower and air conditioner.
Complementing the topnotch accommodations are the high quality of service and the acceptable range of food and beverages.
Guests can choose to have their hot meals and snacks brought to their villas, or they can enjoy the company of their fellow guests at the main cottage. And if they feel like throwing a party for family and friends, The Surf Camp staff is ready and willing to prepare a feast.
But the real attraction of The Surf Camp is its access to the best waves in this part of the Philippines, which are perfect for novice and experienced surfers alike.
Summer months are ideal for beginners training on gentle two-to-three-foot waves, while the more seasoned surfers can come during the latter months of surfing season that runs from April to November for the bigger, more challenging waves.
Visitor arrivals reach their peak in October because of the Eastern Samar Surfing Crown, a competition first held in 2005.
Backing the competition, which is part of the Philippine Surfing Circuit, are the Department of Tourism, the provincial government of Eastern Samar, the municipal government of Guiuan and the Philippine Surfing Federation.
Many of The Surf Camp’s guests, however, prefer to just sit back and relax on their lounge chairs facing the sea. The sound of silence is just too soothing to be ignored.
Among the first visitors of The Surf Camp are honeymooners from Korea who are only too happy to take either the commercial flight to Tacloban and then the two-hour shuttle service to Calicoan or The Surf Camp’s private plane from Cebu to the Guiuan airport, which once saw the landing of bombers during World War II.
These days, The Surf camp is hosting more company outings and reeling in an increasing number of corporate travelers yearning for a break from their routine.
It is this anticipation of more travelers going to the Surf Camp and Guiuan that prompted Smart Communications Inc. to invest in the upgrade of the telecommunications system in the area so that visitors would still be able to stay in touch with their office or families through their mobile phone or laptops.
Smart already boasts of the most extensive mobile phone coverage for basic services such as text messaging and phone calls, thus its next step is to expand its mobile broadband services.
“We realize that many tourists and travelers are only able to go on vacation if they get to stay in touch, like check their email,” says Smart spokesperson Ramon Isberto,” That is why we are improving not just our GSM network but also our broadband services in tourist destinations like Guiuan.”
This should give travelers one more reason to get off the beaten path and take a break in rustic Guiuan.
When in Cebu City, please visit gregmelep.com for your real estate and retirement needs.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Utzurrum: Suroy Suroy goes westward
Chinggay V. Utzurrum
The scene
THIS time, the very successful Suroy Suroy Sugbo series stretched to Cebu’s Midwest, which is composed of six municipalities and one city. On a sunny June morning, June 12, Independence Day to be exact, four buses took the picturesque route, via Carcar.
Aloguinsan was the first stop, and amazing was the welcome accorded Gov. Gwen Garcia, who entered the vast seascape via a batel. Then the dancers performed under the scorching sun but enjoyed every bit of it, seeing how the visitors applauded!
For updates from around the country, follow Sun.Star on Twitter
Hectic was the itinerary, as barely had we “seen” Aloguinsan than we were whisked to Pinamungajan where the entertainment took place at Hidden Valley Resort in Lamac.
Perched atop a hilly terrain, the guests had to exercise their limbs to climb to the top. It was the fiesta in Toledo City and what better way to celebrate than to present a mini-Sinulog at the populated city plaza, where city mayor Arlene Zambo welcomed one and all.
It was a super-rainy evening when we touched Balamban and regretted we missed the fabulous dinner prepared by the town officials, headed by First Lady, Rosie Binghay. But we did get to tour the impressive Tsuneishi shipping facilities, of the Japanese-Filipino tandem the next day.
Asturias spread out the red carpet via a trek to Lake Buswang, the pride of the town. A colorful boathouse held a sumptuous buffet, with a carabao show for all to see!
The town of Tuburan got its name from the prevalent springs, which abound, creating a cool ambience. With this backdrop, the local maidens performed a number. We were pleasantly surprised to meet Val Sandiego in Barangay Maravilla of Tabuelan.
Here we were led to a quaint summerhouse, from where we watched the Sandagat – Santo Niño Sa Dagat festival, featuring dancers on a floating stage!
Our final night was spent at the town plaza, where the Sandiegos once more, regaled us with an after dinner extravaganza! Wow!
DOT uses adventure reality shows to promote eco-tourism destinations
By Nancy R. Cudis
THE Department of Tourism (DOT) is on the lookout for potential sites of international reality adventure shows.
The DOT plans to present these areas to producers of international reality adventure shows. Show producers want areas that are far from urban zones or cities but still have the facilities to accommodate a 200-member production crew.
For updates from around the country, follow Sun.Star on Twitter
Tourism Secretary Joseph “Ace” Durano admitted the DOT has yet to pick a new site.
He said Caramoan Islands in Camarines Sur was the preferred location to shoot versions of reality TV series, Survivor.
“Caramoan is like an exclusive location for Survivor and there is no need for the local government unit to promote the island on its own,” he said.
The successful filming of the eighth season of Survivor Koh Lanta, the French version of the reality game show, in Caramoan has led other international producers to consider the Philippines a good site for adventure shows, noted Durano.
A previous season of Survivor Koh Lanta was filmed in El Nido in Palawan.
The DOT expects arrivals of tourists from Europe to increase as the French version of Survivor begins airing this month until September.
This year, the DOT is supporting five adventure reality shows with producers from Bulgaria, Israel, Turkey, Serbia and Sweden. Except for Sweden that is doing a different adventure reality show, the rest are Survivor versions that are filmed in Caramoan.
Every production lasts for about three months, during which the DOT provides transportation for the show’s crew.
Durano said media mileage, as well as the revenue potential of these shows for a local government unit (LGUs) where the filming was done, is huge. He cited Israel’s $7-
million budget for the production and use of location for the show.
Durano is urging LGUs to develop eco-tourism products, which are popular among foreign tourists.
The move to create more eco-tourism products is one of the current thrusts of the DOT.
Seven adventures in one Cagayan cave
By Katherine Evangelista
INQUIRER.net
PEÑABLANCA, Cagayan, Philippines -- Despite its searing hot weather, Cagayan province is home to some of the coolest adventure destinations in the country.
With over 300 known caves (97 of which have been documented while only 37 have been explored in the past three decades) and countless river systems, this northern province is a must-go-to place for adventure and travel junkies.
Tucked away in the mountains of the unassuming town of Peñablanca, a 30-minute drive from Cagayan’s capital Tuguegarao City, is Callao Cave, one of the province’s most popular.
The cave was named after the Kallaw bird, which used to thrive in the area, but whose numbers have dwindled due to hunting.
Visitors need to climb up 187 steps up the side of the mountain before reaching the entrance of Callao Cave, but it the majestic limestone formations make it worth the effort.
A viewing deck is set up halfway up where tourists can rest and enjoy a picturesque view of the Pinacanauan River below.
Callao Cave’s seven chambers are filled with centuries old stalactites and stalagmites and it also features several magnificent domes and skylights.
The first chamber of Callao Cave known as the “Aviary Room” is home to several species of birds. In a corner right at the entrance of the first chamber is a cordoned-off site where archaeologists from the University of the Philippines discovered human remains and ancient tools dating back to the Neolithic era.
The second chamber, which is the main attraction of the “Callao Cave,” is the Divine Room which the locals have turned into a cathedral due to the natural formation of grottos on the wall and a 160-foot high natural skylight.
Wedding ceremonies can be held in the chapel but locals say that the groom must carry the bride all the way up the 187 steps into the Callao cave before the ceremony.
After the Divine Area is the “Dark Room,” which is named so because it is pitch black inside. Caretakers use incandescent bulbs to guide visitors.
Known as the “Cream Room, the fourth chamber features a large rock formation which looks like three scoops of ice-cream. On the other side of this chamber are the “Three Kings” and the “Elephant Mother and Child” formations while on the side of the ceiling are the “Wings of an Angel” and “Head of St. Joseph” formations.
The next chamber is called the “Jungle Area” since it is home to several animal-shaped rock formations like the “Hornbill,” “Maya,” “Giant Turtle,” and a rock shaped like monkey’s head hence the name “King Kong.”
The sixth room is called the “Adventurous Area” since it features another cave within the chamber. However, adventure-seekers need to make use of another entrance on the other side of the mountain to be able to access the second cave situated halfway up the ceiling.
Lastly, the seventh and last chamber of the Callao Cave is called the “Sun Room”. If tourists come early in the morning preferably between 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., they will be treated to a spectacular view of the chamber as sunrays peek through a sky light on the wall.
When touring the Callao Cave for the first time, it’s advisable to request for a guide. Not only are they helpful for pointing the various limestone formations within the various chambers, they will also tell you which paths to take since muddy areas can be slippery.
Visitors are asked not to litter within the park’s premises and vandalism is strictly prohibited.
INQUIRER.net
PEÑABLANCA, Cagayan, Philippines -- Despite its searing hot weather, Cagayan province is home to some of the coolest adventure destinations in the country.
With over 300 known caves (97 of which have been documented while only 37 have been explored in the past three decades) and countless river systems, this northern province is a must-go-to place for adventure and travel junkies.
Tucked away in the mountains of the unassuming town of Peñablanca, a 30-minute drive from Cagayan’s capital Tuguegarao City, is Callao Cave, one of the province’s most popular.
The cave was named after the Kallaw bird, which used to thrive in the area, but whose numbers have dwindled due to hunting.
Visitors need to climb up 187 steps up the side of the mountain before reaching the entrance of Callao Cave, but it the majestic limestone formations make it worth the effort.
A viewing deck is set up halfway up where tourists can rest and enjoy a picturesque view of the Pinacanauan River below.
Callao Cave’s seven chambers are filled with centuries old stalactites and stalagmites and it also features several magnificent domes and skylights.
The first chamber of Callao Cave known as the “Aviary Room” is home to several species of birds. In a corner right at the entrance of the first chamber is a cordoned-off site where archaeologists from the University of the Philippines discovered human remains and ancient tools dating back to the Neolithic era.
The second chamber, which is the main attraction of the “Callao Cave,” is the Divine Room which the locals have turned into a cathedral due to the natural formation of grottos on the wall and a 160-foot high natural skylight.
Wedding ceremonies can be held in the chapel but locals say that the groom must carry the bride all the way up the 187 steps into the Callao cave before the ceremony.
After the Divine Area is the “Dark Room,” which is named so because it is pitch black inside. Caretakers use incandescent bulbs to guide visitors.
Known as the “Cream Room, the fourth chamber features a large rock formation which looks like three scoops of ice-cream. On the other side of this chamber are the “Three Kings” and the “Elephant Mother and Child” formations while on the side of the ceiling are the “Wings of an Angel” and “Head of St. Joseph” formations.
The next chamber is called the “Jungle Area” since it is home to several animal-shaped rock formations like the “Hornbill,” “Maya,” “Giant Turtle,” and a rock shaped like monkey’s head hence the name “King Kong.”
The sixth room is called the “Adventurous Area” since it features another cave within the chamber. However, adventure-seekers need to make use of another entrance on the other side of the mountain to be able to access the second cave situated halfway up the ceiling.
Lastly, the seventh and last chamber of the Callao Cave is called the “Sun Room”. If tourists come early in the morning preferably between 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., they will be treated to a spectacular view of the chamber as sunrays peek through a sky light on the wall.
When touring the Callao Cave for the first time, it’s advisable to request for a guide. Not only are they helpful for pointing the various limestone formations within the various chambers, they will also tell you which paths to take since muddy areas can be slippery.
Visitors are asked not to litter within the park’s premises and vandalism is strictly prohibited.
Bohol town earns P1M a month from adventure tourism park
By Nancy R. Cudis
THERE is huge revenue potential in eco-tourism projects.
The newly inaugurated Danao Adventure Park in Danao, Bohol is proof of this. The park earns about P1 million a month since January 2009 when it started operating a zip line facility.
For updates from around the country, follow Sun.Star on Twitter
The Danao Adventure Park had an annual revenue target of P3 million.
“We have not earned and seen this much money before,” Danao, Bohol Mayor Louis Thomas Gonzaga told reporters during the park’s launch last July 9.
The P25-million Danao Adventure Park—a 60-hectare eco-tourism, adventure and education facility—is co-managed by the Municipality of Danao and several people’s organizations.
Danao, Bohol is a fourth class municipality with about 20,000 residents. It is located 72 kilometers from Tagbilaran City and 35 kilometers from Tubigon, Bohol.
The local government applied for loan from the World Bank in 2006 to develop the park. The town received a soft loan amounting to more P15 million, which was used to finance the park’s development.
The facility soft-opened in the middle of 2007, offering eco-tourism activities, such as root climbing and spelunking.
When the Office of the President donated P1 million for the establishment of a zip line facility that the park termed as “suislide,” the park’s revenues went up. For the zip
line alone, the park earned P300,000 on the first month and P1 million every month in the next four months.
The facility’s cable equipment was supplied by Minda-nao-based Asolo Cable and Wires.
Danao Adventure Park offers 15 activities, including organic farm visitation, historical tour, river kayaking, river trekking, wall climbing, river tubing, village tour, bouldering, rappelling, sky ride, camping and caving.
Most of the visitors, Gonzaga noted, are locals—mostly from Cebu.
“We want to continue targeting the domestic market because it is more reliable than the foreign market, which is vulnerable to several (incidents) like the influenza A(H1N1) virus,” he said. The park, however, received foreign tourists from Cebu.
As the park plans to come up with four new activities every year and intensify its marketing promotions, it is eyeing to be declared as an economic zone.
The park generates employment for the sedate town. It employs 60 people.
Gonzaga said the park adopts the “Danao First” policy, which means its staff and supplies come from the town to support the local economy.
Future attractions in the park include eco-lodge project, a campsite, a 1.5 kilometer zip line, and a sanctuary for Dagohoy, the legendary Boholano who led the longest revolt against the Spaniards.
The Danao Adventure Park received P600,000 from Bohol Vice Gov. Julius Herrera for the development of the eco-lodge. Rep. Edgar Chatto (Bohol, 1st district) also promised P1 million for the Dagohoy sanctuary
THERE is huge revenue potential in eco-tourism projects.
The newly inaugurated Danao Adventure Park in Danao, Bohol is proof of this. The park earns about P1 million a month since January 2009 when it started operating a zip line facility.
For updates from around the country, follow Sun.Star on Twitter
The Danao Adventure Park had an annual revenue target of P3 million.
“We have not earned and seen this much money before,” Danao, Bohol Mayor Louis Thomas Gonzaga told reporters during the park’s launch last July 9.
The P25-million Danao Adventure Park—a 60-hectare eco-tourism, adventure and education facility—is co-managed by the Municipality of Danao and several people’s organizations.
Danao, Bohol is a fourth class municipality with about 20,000 residents. It is located 72 kilometers from Tagbilaran City and 35 kilometers from Tubigon, Bohol.
The local government applied for loan from the World Bank in 2006 to develop the park. The town received a soft loan amounting to more P15 million, which was used to finance the park’s development.
The facility soft-opened in the middle of 2007, offering eco-tourism activities, such as root climbing and spelunking.
When the Office of the President donated P1 million for the establishment of a zip line facility that the park termed as “suislide,” the park’s revenues went up. For the zip
line alone, the park earned P300,000 on the first month and P1 million every month in the next four months.
The facility’s cable equipment was supplied by Minda-nao-based Asolo Cable and Wires.
Danao Adventure Park offers 15 activities, including organic farm visitation, historical tour, river kayaking, river trekking, wall climbing, river tubing, village tour, bouldering, rappelling, sky ride, camping and caving.
Most of the visitors, Gonzaga noted, are locals—mostly from Cebu.
“We want to continue targeting the domestic market because it is more reliable than the foreign market, which is vulnerable to several (incidents) like the influenza A(H1N1) virus,” he said. The park, however, received foreign tourists from Cebu.
As the park plans to come up with four new activities every year and intensify its marketing promotions, it is eyeing to be declared as an economic zone.
The park generates employment for the sedate town. It employs 60 people.
Gonzaga said the park adopts the “Danao First” policy, which means its staff and supplies come from the town to support the local economy.
Future attractions in the park include eco-lodge project, a campsite, a 1.5 kilometer zip line, and a sanctuary for Dagohoy, the legendary Boholano who led the longest revolt against the Spaniards.
The Danao Adventure Park received P600,000 from Bohol Vice Gov. Julius Herrera for the development of the eco-lodge. Rep. Edgar Chatto (Bohol, 1st district) also promised P1 million for the Dagohoy sanctuary
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