Cebu remains favorite among Japanese tourists

CEBU – The province of Cebu remains as one of the favorite destinations of Japanese tourists, according to Masao Okuyama, of Marine Creative.

Okuyama is organizer of one of Asia’s largest diving events, the “Marine Diving Fair,” and he said divers are eager to visit the Philippines, which is home to a number of award-winning dive sites, like those in Cebu, Batangas and Palawan provinces.

“The Japanese love the Philippine ocean. There are so many reasons for it. As border restriction relaxes, many divers are excited to visit the Philippines again. We would like to send out more information so that more divers will visit the Philippines,” Okuyama said.

Takahashi Hiroyuki, chairman of the Japanese Association of Travel Agents, also said the Philippines is likely to attract a large number of Japanese visitors as leisure travel between Tokyo and Manila resumes.

Japanese stakeholders are bullish on Philippine tourism prospects, especially with a wide range of travel offerings, according to Hiroyuki. “Many Japanese companies have also established operations in the region. We anticipate further growth as a business travel destination,” Hiroyuki said.

“The Philippines is very appealing for Japanese people with its hospitality and cheerfulness. Furthermore, the Philippines has a mild climate all year, making it a popular destination for younger people to relax at beach resorts like in Cebu and Boracay Island. And for retirees, for an extended period of time,” he added.

The two Japanese executives were among those who attended the recent tourism meeting with the Department of Tourism. Representatives from the ASEAN-Japan Centre, Association for English Studies in the Philippines, Japan Association of Overseas Studies, Japan National Tourism Organization, Japan Philippine Tourism Council and MICE Japan Magazine attended the event.

Air Asia, ANA Air, Cebu Pacific, Japan Airlines, Jetstar-Japan and Philippine Airlines took part in the high-level meeting, according to Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco, who said the government would exert efforts to make travel for Japanese nationals as seamless as possible.

Japan has consistently been the Philippines’ fourth-biggest tourism source market prior to the pandemic. In 2019, the country recorded 682,788 tourists from Japan. (Joyce Ann Rocamora)