Provincial Tourism Council to convene today

The Province of Cebu is set to convene its Provincial Tourism Council (PTC) today, July 30, to assess the state of its tourism sector and tackle pressing concerns, particularly the significant decline in tourist arrivals from South Korea.

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Rowena Lu Montecillo, newly appointed head of the Cebu Provincial Tourism Office, said the meeting will formalize directives already laid out and will gather key stakeholders from both the public and private sectors.

"We will be meeting with national government agencies and private tourism stakeholders --tour operators, airlines, tour guides, and hotel and restaurant associations," she said.

The council, reactivated under the administration of Governor Pamela Baricuatro, will be chaired by the governor herself and co-chaired by Board Member Andrei “Red” Duterte, who heads the Committee on Tourism in the Provincial Board.

Montecillo emphasized the importance of involving the private sector in tourism planning.

"If you really want to go to the grassroots, you have to have your Tourism Council. Every sector has to be involved in your plan. The private sector brings insight on what’s happening on the ground," she said.

A key agenda of today’s meeting will be the reported 18% drop in Korean tourists during the first half of 2025, compared to the same period last year.