DAVAO CITY – The City Tourism Office (CTO) is in the thick of preparations for the anticipated influx of tourists here for the remaining major holidays this year.
In a statement Friday, acting CTO chief Julieta Catacutan said they are also laying the groundwork to ensure the safe and convenient stay of visitors in the city.
Catacutan urged all businesses in the city’s tourism industry to secure all necessary legal requirements for their operations for the last quarter f this year.
“Our main goal right now is [to prepare] for our tourist arrivals, considering All Souls’ Day, All Saints’ Day, and our Christmas season is almost here,” she said.
Catacutan said the city’s tourism industry is now recovering after a two-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic, as proven by the successful celebration of the Kadayawan Festival last month.
“We are closely coordinating with different tourist-related establishments to get their business permits and make sure they are accredited, so tourists will no longer have problems with safe services,” she added.
CTO data showed that from January to August this year, the city welcomed 529,551 visitors - 502,650 of whom are domestic tourists; 23,400 foreigners; and 3,501 “balikbayans”.
It also indicated that the city was visited by 317,804 tourists in 2021, and 618,034 visited in 2020.
In 2019, the city logged a record high of 2,573,990 tourists before the start of the pandemic. (PNA)
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