QUEZON City Mayor Herbert Bautista and Tourism Secretary Wanda Corazon Teo led the two-day Metro Manila Tourism Forum to tackle issues on the development of the nation’s capital region as the country’s top tourist destination.
Bautista shared Teo’s insights while underscoring the need for Metro Manila cities to capitalize on their similarities and differences through market-sharing with local and foreign tourists enjoying different experiences as they moved through each city.
“For those of us in Metro Manila, the distinction among cities may not be as distinct; there are many similarities we share. But there are enough differences that we can capitalize on to set as apart,” he said.
Teo said there is a need for the metro’s cities to continue building up their advantages and capitalize these gains to promote the development of the country’s tourism industry.
Both reiterated the need for the cities to reinvent themselves to create distinctions that can attract and capture markets, especially with the period of Association of Southeast Asian Nations integration.
“With demand escalating and competition becoming more intense, there is a greater pressure for places to reinvent themselves,” Bautista said.
He said education and medical tourism shall be pursued by his administration, considering Quezon City has a large network of schools and universities as well as hospitals and health and wellness facilities.
The city government has also been revitalizing certain areas to promote tourism development. Those undergoing revitalization are Maginhawa Street, La Loma Lechon District, Banawe Chinatown and the South Triangle area.
The two-day event, with the theme: “ASEAN Enhancing City Tourism Destinations Towards Sustainable Development, also featured presentations on the best tourist attractions of Metro Manila cities.