Tourism leaders to converge in Davao City

Davao City (29 June) -- As an initial step in promoting Davao as sports tourism destination especially to the international market, Philippine tourism leaders will converge in the city on July 12 for a "Sports Tourism Forum" at Grand Regal Hotel.

Art Boncato, president of Tourism Council of Davao City said the forum will prepare participants for sports tourism programs and marketing sports events.

He said case studies of successful sports tournaments, the Philippine expedition to Mt. Everest and insights of the staging of the 2005 Southeast Asian Games in the Philippines will also be discussed.

The forum, he, said is organized by the Davao Convention Bureau and the Tourism Council of Davao in cooperation with the Seirahro Leisure, PAGCOR, Philippine Airlines and Skal International.

Invited as resource persons are Southeast Asian Games Organizing committee chair Roberto Pagdanganan, Philippine Basketball Association commissioner Jose Emmanuel Eala, chief of expedition Philippine Expedition to Mt. Everest Arturo Valdez, Philippine Airlines vice president for marketing support Felix Cruz, and SKAL International president Charles Lim.

The forum Boncato said is a must for all event organizers, hotels, resorts, tourism councils, sports commissions, schools, sports facilities, event sponsors, sports clubs, malls, Mountaineer Associations and Clubs, sports associations, media organizations, and tour operators.

Department of Tourism Davao regional director Sonia Garcia who issued an endorsement for the Sports Tourism Forum said that it is expected to promote sports tourism in the Davao region which boasts of vast potential eco-adventure.

She said the rich eco-tourism assets are perfect for diving particularly around the Davao Gulf, mountaineering, spelunking and golf.

`Garcia said the forum is an ideal venue for promoting Davao as an "Island to Highland Destination" which tour operators can best market as another exciting option for travel and leisure.

Southern Philippines Tourism Council president Mary Anne Montemayor who heads a trade mission in HongKong last June 9 to 12 said earlier that they were able to draw interests from tourists after Davao offered a new product - the sports tourism.

She said HongKong based tour operators found out that diving and playing golf is less expensive on top of the city being hosts to good golf courses and dive sites. (PIA/pdbanzon)