Davao City saw a significant increase in tourist arrivals in 2024, reaching over 1.8 million visitors. The figure surpassed the 1.2 million tourists recorded in 2023.
City Tourism Operations Office (CTTO) Head Jennifer Romero, during the I-Speak media forum on Thursday, said that the tourist arrivals are greatly attributed to the tourism events and activities in the city, including the Araw ng Dabaw, Duaw Dabaw, the Kadayawan Festival, and Pasko Fiesta.
She said that they are confident about reaching 2.5 million visitors this year.
“We are also positive because na stabilized na nato ang atoang mga events sa city (we have already stabilized the events in our city),” she said.
“As early as now, we are already planning what to do, we will be releasing dates so that our mga turista (tourists) who wanted to come here to celebrate the Kadayawan, can book flights ahead of time,” she said.
Romero said the figure on tourist arrivals was based on the number of visitors staying in accredited accommodation.
“So katong niadto diri nga turista, nga natulog sailahang paryente, nakitulog sa bisan asa, or much more natulog sa dili accredited nga establishments, dili gyud na siya counted (So people who came here as tourists and slept with their families, wherever, or even in unaccredited places are not included in the tally at all ),” she said.
She said the Kadayawan Festival in August saw the largest number of visitors at 190,068, followed by December, having 178, 555 visitors.
She also said their office will be pushing for MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions) incentives to gather more meetings and conventions in the city.
“For the MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions), we are also working with the private sectors nga naa sila’y mga (that they will have ) MICE Conventions. We will convene and we will redo the MICE incentives that are in collaboration with the City, with the Department of Tourism, and the Tourism stakeholders,” she said.
“Like [for] example we usually give incentives sa city, like the welcome dancers, performers in the airport when there’s a group arrival. Naa pod ta’y staff sa reception desk nato to assist the group (We also have staff at our reception desk to assist the group),” she added.
Romero added that the Regional Tourism Development Plan, a strategic plan intended to encourage sustainable tourism growth in the area, is now being developed by the Davao Region’s Department of Tourism.
“After sa (in the) region, we will also be updating our Davao City Local Tourism Development Plan. We don’t want to change but we need to reinvent. We will also be looking at our bag-o nga (new) destinations. Daghan naman pod og destinations si Davao City nga kailangan na pod nato siya ma promote (We have many destinations that we need to promote),” she said.
Romero also said the air connectivity council recently convened to attract airline companies to add flights to Davao City, especially international ones. Direct flights from Davao to Siargao, as well as to Caticlan, Clark, Pampanga, and Puerto Princesa, Palawan, have just been established.
Romero also urged Dabawenyos to support the city’s events, particularly the prestigious Kadayawan Festival. CIO
