DOT bullish about further rise in Northern Mindanao’s tourist arrivals
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — Officials of the Department of Tourism (DOT) in Northern Mindanao are expecting more tourists visiting the region after an airline company opened a flight between Laguindingan and Clark airports.
DOT-10 regional director Marie Elaine Unchuan said the flight makes it easier for tourists from Luzon to get to Northern Mindanao which offers diverse attractions for travelers.
Unchuan hoped that more flights from Luzon could be opened in the future to further improve the region’s connectivity and drive more tourist arrivals.
Last May 6, Cebu Pacific’s maiden flight from Clark carried 142 passengers, among them Tourism Undersecretary Myra Paz Abubakar and tour operators from Central Luzon.
READ: New tourism experience through ‘Colors of Mindanao’
“We are very thankful to Cebu Pacific for opening the Clark-Cagayan de Oro route. We have been prepared to welcome visitors because we have so much to offer,” Unchuan said.
“We are planning to organize a travel exchange between the regions, both incoming (to Region 10) and outgoing. We will be bringing our tour operators and stakeholders to Clark,” Unchuan added.
“This operation is projected to result in regular visits to the region and provide an excellent opportunity to revitalize Northern Mindanao’s tourism industry and promote local destinations,” she further said.
The one hour and 45-minute flight is every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. It leaves Laguindingan at 10:40 a.m. while the turnaround flight from Clark leaves at 12:55 p.m.
READ: A gateway to historic landmarks, eco-tourism thrills and rich agri resources
“We expect more visitors from Luzon to come to Mindanao, especially now that we have a connecting flight from Clark Airport to Laguindingan Airport. It only means that Mindanao is really open to receive tourists from all over, especially Luzon,” Abubakar said in a statement.
Tourist arrival in the region is at 1.66 million, a 177% jump from around 599,000 in 2021. This helped drive the 35.5% growth in the accommodation and food service sub-sector of the services sector which, in turn, accounts for 54.5% of the regional economy.
READ: Northern Mindanao tourism takes a beating from pandemic