Influx of Chinese tourists to RP seen as Cebu Pacific launches flights to Xiamen

XIAMEN CITY, China — To accommodate an increasing influx of tourists, particularly Chinese, to the Philippines, the construction of more tourism infrastructures should now be undertaken, Alan Lam, Cebu Pacific Air general manager for China, urged.

He said that there has been no new five-star hotels built in Metro Manila during the last several years. He added that new tourism facilities should be established or existing ones be renovated in tourists destinations in the Philippines.

The Cebu Pacific Air launched here recently its inaugural Manila-Xiamen flight. Earlier this year, it launched its Guandzhou (China)-Manila service route.

Lam said that about 80 percent of their Philippine-bound passengers are tourists who are attracted by Baguio City, Boracay and other beaches in the Philippines.

He also said that news on kidnappings, bombings and other terrorist acts have in the recent past slackened the influx of Chinese tourists to the Philippines.

The travel executive added that there is now an increasing number of Filipino professionals being employed here in Xiamen. Filipino musicians are also being hired by the five-star hotels here.

During the ceremonies here at the Xiamen International Airport marking the Manila-Xiamen inaugural flight of Cebu Pacific Air, Philippine Consul General Corazon Yap-Bahjin said that the service route would usher in a mutual development of tourism, business exposures and cultural and educational exchanges for both Xiamen and the Philippines.

Xiamen, with about two million population, is dubbed as "the gateway" to China. It is a well-landscaped booming city with medium and high-rise buildings with wide avenues and where shopping is fun and adventure for bargain prices.

Frederick D. Go, group manager for a real estate and retail, and who represented Cebu Pacific Air during the reception dinner, said: "We are optimistic that we will have as much future success in the region as we are enjoying in the domestic Philippine market. We have already served 11 million revenue passengers a month before our 8th birthday."

He also expressed optimism that the Manila-Xiamen route will bring about greater trade and tourism between the Philippines and Xiamen.

Go further said that "most of the Chinese-Filipinos are from the province of Fujian and many residents of Fujian have relatives in the Philippines.

Businessmen and tourists from other cities in China use Xiamen as a connection point to the Philippines.

Cebu Pacific Air, the second largest airline in the Philippines, has earlier already established international flights which include two flights daily between Manila and Hong Kong, six times a week flights serving Manila-Seoul, and chartered services between Laoag and Hong Kong, Davao and Koror, Subic and Guangzhou.

Consul General Corazon Yap-Bahjin of the Philippine consulate here, who spoke during the ceremonies, said that the Cebu Pacific flight to Xiamen will usher in a mutual development of tourism, business exposures and cultural and educational exchanges for both the Philippines and this city.

Xiamen, with about two million population, is dubbed as "the gateway" to China. It is a well-landscaped booming city with medium and high-rise modern buildings with wide avenues and where shopping is fun and adventure for bargain prices.

Frederick D. Go, group manager for real-estate and retail, and who represented Cebu Pacific, said: "We are optimistic that we will have as much future success in the region as we are enjoying in the domestic Philippine market. We have already served 11 million revenue passengers a month before our 8th birthday."

He also expressed optimism that the Manila-Xiamen route will bring about greater trade and tourism between the Philippines and this city.

Go further expressed that "most of the Filipino-Chinese are from the province of Fujian and many residents of Fujian have relatives in the Philippines."

Businessmen and tourists from other cities in China can use Xiamen as a connection point to the Philippines. Xiamen is only about two-and-a-half hour flight from Manila.

Cebu Pacific,the second largest airline in the Philippines, has already established international flights which include two flights daily between Manila and Hong Kong, six times a week flights from Manila-Seoul and vice-versa, and chartered services between Laoag and Hong Kong, Davao and Korea, Subic and Guangzhou.