Tourism and Commerce in Cebu

It’s easy to distinguish the overall economic performance of Cebu compared to the other cities in the whole Philippines. For one, I did mention in one of my articles that Cebu, Philippines is fourth in the Business Project Outsourcing among the top performers in the industry on the globe. This sure is a great distinction to our not just the Cebuanos but also to the Philippine country.

Well, with Cebu’s dramatic rise into becoming the “center of the Philippines” (not just geographically), I can honestly say that Cebu may have been already got past the Philippine’s capital, Manila. This is so since more and more investors have been thinking about starting business here in Cebu.

Foreign investors

In Cebu, the I.T. Park and the Cebu Business Park are not just the places where foreign investors can begin their business. There’s also the MEPZ in Lapu-Lapu City. Plus the fast-rising Talisay City could become another area for international business with its wide region. I’ve also read in a newspaper that Peter Beckingham, a British Ambassador to the Philippines, has grabbed the attention of possible Great Britain investors that encouraged the European Union into choosing Cebu as the first city in the Philippines to take a glimpse of the critically-acclaimed “Cine Europa”, which is held this year.

It figures

Business, tourism and other ventures are set to take not just Cebu City but the Philippiens itself by storm if the government can provide the needed improvement and realize the high-level upside. I believe that if given a much-needed time and effort, Cebu will emerge as the premiere spot for different market segments, especially from European tourists that range from avid travelers, backpackers and retirees.

As of January to may of 2007, tourists from Europe to Cebu registered a boost of 42.19% from the recent total of 20,356 European citizens who have visited Cebu in the this year’s first five months from its previous total of 28,944 in the same phase of this year.

Some of the most areas that boast a perfect trip and settlement for European travelers and investors are Cebu, Bohol and Palawan. This goes to show that if provided with definitive attention, powered by the country’s strong political power, not just Cebu but the whole country will experience global innovation and may rise into one of the world’s premiere commerce destinations.