“When we thought of starting a hotel, we wanted to offer a place for tourists, foreign and local where they could relax and be comfortable and not have to pay thousands for their accommodation.  ” said Jay Roska, Cebu R Hotel CEO. So, they decided to come up a hotel that is affordable but with excellent service and amenities. It is a place where your budget will go a long way.. “With the rising costs of living, our practical side comes out”, he added.

The hotel is designed with simple, modern and Filipino touches , soothing sounds, and relaxing color, complemented by its delightful hotel staff. Whether you’re staying with us for a meeting, a conference, an important personal matter, or enjoying some leisure time, we’re serious about helping you unwind. With 31 rooms, highly personalized attention and seamless service to each guest, you will experience the intimacy of belonging. Your time with us at Cebu R Hotel is all about YOU – your comfort, your experience and your well-being.

Guests at Cebu R Hotel will enjoy amenities such as free wireless internet access in the rooms and the lobby, LCD flat screen tv, IDD/NDD telephone, hot and cold shower, wake-up call service, refrigerator (except in the standard rooms), safety deposit box, automatic fire alarm,  24-hr business center, 24-hr CCTV & security, an elevator, standby generator and the first hotel that offers free breakfast for as low as php850.00/night. plus a café in the lobby where they serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They have all time Filipino favorites such as tinola, chicken pork adobo, lechon kawali, etc and also sandwiches and pastas.

“I am very confident Central Visayas, especially Cebu and Bohol, will do well this year,” Durano said.

He said the opening this April of the Korean-led Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort and Spa, an upscale resort hotel in Mactan, Cebu, is expected to boost high-end Korean arrivals to Cebu and the rest of the region.

Despite the slowdown of arrivals from top markets like Korea and United States, Durano said some emerging foreign travelers from Russia and China will fill in the gap, and sustain an encouraging growth of the region’s tourism trade.

Durano stressed the importance of both Chinese and Russian markets, being among the resilient travel markets amid the global financial meltdown. These countries are noted to have high spending tourists.

Central Visayas, which is considered the tourism gateway of the Philippines, attracted 2.1-million tourist arrivals in 2008.

Latest data released by the DOT-7 showed that total of 782,308 foreign visitor arrivals and about 1.34-million are domestic travelers, which posted a 9.2 percent growth rate last year.

The January to December 2008 figures reflected DOT 7 records whose sources of data include accommodation establishments such as hotels, inns, pension houses, resorts and beach resorts.

Among the four provinces, Cebu accounted for some 1.6 million domestic and foreign arrivals for the same period, followed by Bohol with 282,498 visitors.

The provinces of Negros Oriental and Siquijor have 221,045 and 18,147 visitors, respectively.

Based on DOT’s data, Koreans continue to dominate the total volume of tourist arrivals to the region with 226,587 visitors in 2008.

However the recent volume dropped down by 8,794 from 2007 data, which totaled 235,381 Korean visitors.

Next to the Koreans, the top two travel markets in the region are still Japan and the United States with total tourist volumes of 141,249 and 66,299, respectively.

Like Durano, tourism stakeholders in Cebu also believe that tourist arrivals from emerging markets like China and Russia is seen to create bullishness for the local tourism industry amid expected slowdown of the international travel market throughout the rest of the year.

Tourists from mainland China last year grew by 66 percent, from 18,608 in 2007 to 31,021 in 2008.

Arrivals last year from other parts of Europe, which includes Russia, jumped to 32.5 percent or 13,179 versus 9,940 tourists in the same period last 2007. — Ehda M. Dagooc

Source: Cebu, Bohol tourism growth to surpass overall slowdown

THE Cebu City Tourism Commission (CCTC) intends to develop a walking tour of heritage sites in the city as a tourism product that can be offered to local and foreign visitors.

“We will give the heritage walk a brand,” said tourism commissioner Tetta Baad during the 888 News Forum yesterday at the Cebu City Waterfront Hotel and Casino.

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Dubbed as the Pasiyo sa Kabilin, the activity involves a walking tour to various heritage sites in the city. These include Fort San Pedro, Plaza Sugbo, the Magellan’s Cross, Colon Street, Plaza Hamabar, the Basilica Minore del Sto. Nino and the Cebu City Cathedral.

Pasiyo sa Kabilin will be launched on June 25.

But Jenny Franco, president of the National Association of Independent Travel Agencies (Naitas) in Cebu, said the group welcomes this development but the CCTC should look into the sustainability of the heritage walk.

“What is being done (to make the heritage walk) a regular tour and (to ensure) that there is continuity after it is launched?,” Franco asked Baad in the same forum yesterday.

To make it sustainable, Baad said CCTC will undertake several measures to help improve and standardize the activity.

The CCTC is planning to organize sidewalk and candle vendors, as well as horse-drawn carriage (tartanilla) owners or handlers, at the heritage sites.

Rehab sidewalks

The CCTC has also asked City Hall, through Cebu City Administrator Francisco Fernandez, to rehabilitate sidewalks where tour participants will pass.

Baad said the commission has also requested City Hall to clean and cover open canals at the sites.

“We also requested for lighting in dark streets,” she added.

Meanwhile, to assure participants of their safety, Baad said tourist police will be stationed in areas included in the heritage walk. “There will be police visibility,” she added.

Baad said tour guides also went through a re-training so that they will not just give standard answers to questions asked by tourists. “They should have a deeper knowledge of history,” she said.

In the long term, Baad said the CCTC will campaign for the passage of an ordinance that will help protect and preserve heritage sites in the city.

The ordinance, said Baad, should limit building expansions and require designs to conform to the overall look of the heritage site.

“This is done all over the world. In Europe, all buildings are done tastefully. They conform to a law (that) does not allow them to disturb the heritage nature of the district,” she said. She added that later on, a red trail will be painted on the streets that are part of the walking tour.

CCTC will also rollout awareness campaigns in the community about the need to preserve the heritage areas. The commission will also involve businesses in the campaign.

After its launch, Baad said all bookings for the Pasiyo sa Kabilin will go through the CCTC as the commission is also open to accepting customized packages.

“For a start, give us a two-day notice,” she said.

The CCTC charges $30 for a standard heritage walk, inclusive of transportation, entrance fees and service fees for tour guides.

For a minimum group of 50, the CCTC offers a package that includes buffet dinner featuring Cebuano dishes and a cultural performance at the Fort San Pedro.

Source: Cebu Tourism

Source: Cebu is 4th best island in Asia for 2009

Source: Sinanggiyaw Festival

Source: Tagbo Festival

Source: Sadsad Festival

Carcar is known for its locally-made shoes. Bolo making and basket weaving are also some of the prevalent cottage industries among the Carcaranons are also into wooden furniture manufacturing and antique reproduction.

The Kabkaban festival celebrate every November 24-25.

Source: Kabkaban Festival

Sarok means a kind of hat that made from bamboo strips and dried banana leaves and this is commonly used by farmers of Consolacion for protection from the rain and heat of the sun. Also, Sarok is the main livelihood of Barangay Tulotulo. The first Sarok Festival was held in the year of 1996, by then a resolution is mandated of the local officials that Sarok Festival will be celebrated every October 28-29 as part of the Founding Anniversary of the Municipality of Consolacion.

Source: Sarok Festival

Karansa is a dance festival that shows the joy and happiness through performing the four basic steps, the kikay, karag, kurug and kurahay. In a little way, its adance to be merry and to celebrates – a word from Councilor Carmen “Ivy” Durano-Meca, committee on Tourism Chairperson. It was called Karansa because the people of Brgy. Suba in Danao City, a known for Potters will gather and celebrates for a successful day of work through performing adance. This the proud of Danawanons which remains its cultures and heritage of Danao City.

Contingents from the city elementary and high school of Danao City will show the highlights of the festival street dancing, showdown competitions and Karansa Festival Queen 2009.

Source: Karansa Festival