The Davao Tourism Association has unveiled a train of activities and projects in store for the year 2017, including big ticket events that will keep its hands for most of the year.
Speaking during the Turismo Café, a regular press conference focused on issues, concerns, and updates on the current state of the tourism industry in the region, DATA president Renato “Gatchi” Gatchalian said said 2017 would be a special year not only because of big ticket events and projects spearheaded by the association but because of the growing number of DATA members.
“It was a major achievement since we started with 19 members and for our 2nd general meeting this afternoon, I will be giving another report, we are happy to say that we have now 123 members,” said Gatchalian.
To jumpstart this year’s activities, Susan Isabel Reta of Davao City Chinatown Development Council invited the Davaoeños to join the Chinese community in welcoming Chinese New Year today, January 27, 7PM at People’s Park.
“The event will not be held in Chinatown but in downtown because we want to reach out to the public,” she said.
According to Reta event will feature performances and serving of Chinese soup “miswa” to the audience for free.
Meanwhile, on February 3 to 5, 2017, the National Association of Independent Travel Agencies (Naitas – Davao) will be hosting “Naitas-Davao Travel and Trade Show” to be held at Abreeza Mall Activity Center davao City which will feature 40 exhibitors consist of travel agencies, hotels, airlines and resorts that will offer big discounts and promos to those interested clients.
Naitas-Davao President Gilbert Alvarez said that the organization has partnered with Department of Tourism and Department of Trade and Industry to bring event side shows such as themed photography, culinary competition, pageant and booths selling native products.
Another trade show set on February 17 to 19 will be the 8th Davao Mega Travel Sale to be held at Abreeza Mall Activity Center Davao City which also partnered with DTI for its “0% Madness Sale” on ticket prices for selected travel agencies, hotels, properties and airlines.
Pia Lourdes Montano of Davao Travel Agencies Association said that this year’s trade show will be “special” as one of its partners, SilkAir, the regional wing of Singapore Airlines, celebrates its 20th anniversary. Montano said the public could expect special discounts on ticket prices especially those who have Bank of Philippine Islands (BPI) accounts.
The event will also be sponsored by Cebu Pacific.
For the month of May, Gatchalian said that DATA will be hosting the “Go Davao Travel Expo, the first expo solely committed to promote Davao City, to be held in all SM Supermalls nationwide.
“The DATA members will be going out of Davao to promote Davao,” he said.
According the DATA President, the expo will feature what Davao could offer the country and the world such as fashion, food, and lifestyle.
For the month of August, DATA will be spearheading the “1st Kadayawan Ball” which will be DATA’s own version of “Indak-indak sa Kadalanan” ball but will also feature fashion, food and dances.
Gatchalian also announced that DATA will be “ending the year with a big bang” as it will host “CulDelSur”, a culinary and service festival to be held on September.
The DATA President also gave a gist of the projects that the association will be heading for this year such as the proposed Davao Cultural Village Center, “the biggest and most ambitious project” of DATA which will showcase the 11 tribes of Davao region on a daily basis and will serve as a drop-off point to the villages for tourists to go to.
For the Sports Tourism, Gatchalian said that a Futsal Competition will be held in Davao City which will gather 6,000 delegates.
Meanwhile, the DATA President also said that for film tourism, they are promoting Davao City as a location to shoot movie scenes as he said that Film Academy of the Philippines – Mindanao is also located in Davao City.
“Direk Brillante Mendoza will be having a project here in Davao City,” he bared.
