DAVAO. AirAsia Deputy Group Chief ExecutiveOfficer for Digital, Transformation and Corporate Services Aireen Omar saidthey are positive that Davao is building to become an international gateway inthe southern Philippines. (Ace June Rell Perez)

 

INCREASED awareness and availability ofHalal-compliant tourism products and services are needed to sustain therecently-launched direct flight between Davao City and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.  

AirAsia Deputy Group Chief ExecutiveOfficer for Digital, Transformation and Corporate Services Aireen Omar said inher speech Thursday, February 1 during the DVO-KL Officiating Ceremony at MarcoPolo Hotel ? Davao that cooperation among the government and tourism playersplays vital in maintaining traffic in the route.  

The DVO-KL AirAsia flight was launched lastDecember 21 and is now operating with four times weekly.  

“We appreciate Philippine’s push forincrease awareness and availability of Halal-compliant products and services. As we continue to increase connectivity between the communities of Asean(Association of Southeast Asian Nations), it is important that the needs fortourism around this region are also met,” she said adding that halal tourism ishuge in the Asean market.  

On improved and vibrant Halal tourism, Omarcited Japan for its successful implementation of programs for halal-complianttourism emphasizing that it can be done in Asean, especially Philippines. 

we can do the same in Asean and I think Mindanao has a lot to offer in this part of the region (Asean) to draw in moretourists from across our 634-million-people-strong Asean,” she said.  

AirAsia, she said, is committed to make thenew international flight a success and enable Davao as a gateway hub in Southern Philippines for Asean and beyond. 

 “We are optimistic that Davao will do very well as a destination and we look forward to work hand in hand with Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, the national government and other tourism bodies to grow Davao further,” she added.  

The DVO-KL route, Omar shared, has been doing fine in terms of load factor maintaining an average of 80 percent load,over a month after its inaugural flight.  

Duterte-Carpio, for her part said, that thecity will do its part to show and prove to the investors that Davao is a goodinvestment and tourism destination. 

 “First, we need to let the people know,especially the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) that there is an existing flight. Second, we need to prepare the city for the type of tourists that will come from Malaysia,” the mayor said.  

Duterte-Carpio added that they are presently getting the guidelines for the implementation of Halal Law (HalalExport Development and Promotion Act of 2016), we have been pushing for Department of Trade and Industry and the National Commission on MuslimFilipinos particularly for the guidelines of the local implementation.  

“We are preparing the city for the hotelaccommodation, our dining options, our sites, our accessibility and mobility ofthe city,” she said.

 

 Preparations and efforts to promote Davao

 There regional office of the Department of Tourism is presently in talks with Davaorestaurants and hotels urging these establishments to be, if notHalal-certified, at least Muslim-friendly. 

 To further promote investment and tourism of the city, the Davao City Investmentand Promotions Center (DCIPC) and the City Tourism Operations Office (CTOO) areset to have international missions and local roadshows in the pipeline for the2nd quarter and 3rd quarter this year.  

DCIPC head Lemuel Ortonio said they initially plan to pattern their future visits to Malaysia and Singapore aftertheir Japan investment and tourism roadshow October of last year wherein the Dabawenyo delegates were able to sit down in a business forum with thecountry’s investment and tourism representatives to discuss and provideinformation about Davao City.  

Ortonio said the roadshow to Malaysia andSingapore is targeted on the 3rd quarter of 2018 and will be part of the support for the two international direct flights that Davao City has in orderhelp sustain the said flights.  

Duterte-Carpio said the city’s focuscountries, apart from Malaysia and Singapore, are Japan, Korea and China.
 

 Airconnectivity

 Withvarious direct flights launched, both local and international, Davao isbuilding to become an international gateway in the southern Philippines. 

 Omarsaid the international flights will open the city to extensive network of destinations in Asean, Northeast Asia, South Asia, Australasia, the Middle Eastand the US. 

 “We are committed to growing tourism beyond the most famous tourism hotspots. Byimproving connectivity in secondary cities, we help to spur development beyondthe capital, we hope that our international flights to Mindanao bring ineconomic contributions in terms of tourism receipts, creation of jobs, and opportunitiesfor SMEs and marginalized communities,” she said.  

The direct flight is one of the positiveresults gained from the Phnom Penh, Cambodia visit of President Rodrigo Dutertelast December 2016 where in the President and Fernandes had investment talks. 

 

Read more:http://www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/business/2018/02/04/airasia-pushes-halal-tourism-587279

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