DAVAO CITY – The City Tourism Operations Office (CTOO) aims to attract almost 200,000 tourists for the 38th Kadayawan Festival in Davao City next month.
“As to the tourist arrivals, we are expecting to somehow reach 180,000 to 200,000 in time for the 38th Kadayawan Festival,” CTOO officer-in-charge Jennifer R. Romero said.
Romero said they noted 120,000 tourist arrivals in August 2022 and expects tourist arrivals to increase this year as the country is already in a post-pandemic era.
She added that their office is closely coordinating with the Hotel Sales and Marketing Associations on the status of the occupancy of hotel accommodations here.
Based on inventory, Romero said 4,400 rooms are available here, including prominent hotels, mall hotels, self-styled accommodations, and dormitels.
Davao Meetings, Incentive travel, Conventions, and Exhibitions (MICE) Board co-chairperson Gene C. Bangayan added that new hotels here would soon be ready to accommodate tourists.
“If what we hope to expect is the number of visitors for Kadayawan, we also have homestays that are willing to accommodate tourists in time for the festival,” Bangayan said.
Bangayan said the accommodations for tourists are reasonable as many hotels and resorts in the Island Garden City of Samal (Igacos) and nearby towns can accommodate them.
“Samal and other areas nearby Davao City can accommodate visitors. We are confident that we can accommodate the influx of tourists and visitors for this Kadayawan,” Bangayan added.
“We could also encourage or give prior information to our accommodation sectors to prepare for the upcoming festival,” said Davao Tourism Association president Nicole Niña Hao Bian Ledesma.
Ledesma said that tourists can also explore not just this city but also the Davao region during the Kadayawan Festival.
The Davao city government has set aside a budget of P65 million for this year’s festival – P12 million from the trust fund accumulated through sponsorships the previous year and P53 million from the city’s resources.