10 tourism chiefs head 3,000 delegates to ASEAN Tourism Forum in Davao

Some 3,000 foreign delegates led by tourism ministers from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations are expected to troop to Davao City on January 13-21 for the 25th ASEAN Tourism Forum, the premier travel trade show in the Asia Pacific region.

The huge influx of ATF visitors will include over 500 travel buyers and sellers and foreign media from six continents.

In a press conference held recently, Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano said the best of Filipino hospitality renowned all over the world, awaits the ATF visitors.

Durano said the ATF Davao Host Council has blocked off 1,451 rooms from the 15 designated official hotels in Davao ranging from the deluxe to bed and breakfast inns, to accommodate foreign participants for the duration of the event.

In case of shortage of rooms, Undersecretary and ATF Committee Vice Chairman Oscar Palabyab said they have commissioned a big shipping company and home stays to serve as additional accommodation for the visitors.

The tourism chief said the highlight of the regional event is the post-ATF tour to the top tourist destinations in the country. The foreign ministers and travel decision-makers will have the chance to see the beauty of the country through complimentary tours of Davao City and the countryside, Subic, Pagsanjan, Corregidor, Cebu, Bohol, Palawan, Banaue, Boracay, Sorsogon (Bicol), Camiguin, and Cagayan de Oro.

He stressed that one of his goals is to give visitors the best experience of the Philippines because there is no other event that can give the country the same promotional value as the Asean Tourism Forum.

"Langkawi, Malaysia has done a very good job, setting the bar last year as host of the ATF. We are trying to reach its level, if not outdo it when it comes to hosting this year’s event, and set the bar for the next host which is Singapore," he said.

Durano said President Arroyo personally handpicked Davao City as the venue for the Philippines’ third hosting of the ATF because of its tourism capability that equals that of past ATF venues like Cebu and Manila.

"Davao has the infrastructure, the newest world-class international airport, and the best security infrastructure and system in the country," he explained.

Thus, he assured the hundred percent security and safety of all foreign and local guests, with stringent security measures put in place before, during and after the event.

"We have a contingency plan for anything," he added.

The organizers of the 2006 ATF also undertook extensive preparations to ensure a successful regional event. Among these were the upgrading of hotels and tourist facilities, Davao City beautification campaign, training of airport personnel, tourist guides and other frontliners, establishment of ATF check-in counters in all airports across the country, deployment of police officers in Davao and other places participating in the ATF.

Durano said this year’s ATF is both historic and meaningful for the Philippines and the ASEAN-member countries as it celebrates its silver anniversary of tourism cooperation and promotion. The 25th staging of the ATF celebrates the many faces of the ASEAN at the same time, challenging the ASEAN tourism industry to move forward against current international crises and troubles affecting the region.

The ministerial forum will tackle the impact of international and regional challenges on tourism in ASEAN and the measures the region can take to effectively minimize the fallout from crises in the global arena, and on the strategies to become a stronger force in the world tourism industry.

Member-nations of the ATF are the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar.