Singapore Ambassador to the Philippines Gerard Ho Wei Hong told Mayor Michael Rama during the former’s courtesy call on Monday, Feb. 13, 2023, that Cebu City has the potential of becoming a port of destination for cruise ships.
Hong was received by Rama on the eighth floor of the City Hall’s executive building which has a scenic view of the Mactan Channel and the Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX).
Councilor Jocelyn Pesquera, chairperson of the Cebu City Tourism Commission (CCTM), said Tuesday, Feb. 14, the observations made by Singapore’s top diplomat are a great honor for the city.
But Pesquera said a study needs to be conducted first to determine the feasibility of the eyed tourism program that will be launched in the city.
It is also important to partner with other local government units to develop a voyage that will benefit the local tourism industry in the country, she added.
Pesquera said once the tourism program will be properly developed and deemed sustainable, it can then be upgraded to accommodate international cruise ships.
Currently, a “sunset cruise” experience is being offered in Cebu City as part of the CCTM’s tourism programs that aim to promote the coastal landscape of the city.
Instead of the usual huge cruise ships, a yacht is being used in the tour which begins at the CCLEX shipyard going to Mactan Island.
According to the Department of Tourism in Central Visayas, Cebu City logged 580,296 local and international tourist arrivals in the first nine months of 2022.