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MORE THAN
THE traditional holiday-and-convention genre,
Cebu continues to re-invent itself as
perhaps the country’s leading tourism
hotspot by venturing into novel areas which
hold great promise and potential by way of
its built-in facilities, natural attractions
and welcoming locals. These ready-made
assets pose as the ideal groundwork for a
looming tourism market that promises the
longest-standing patronage of them all—the
retirees.
Though still somewhat overlooked among the traditional
visitor markets to the Philippines, the
retiree market can never be underestimated
for its value since it may turn out to be
the most lucrative tourists of the lot due
to their extended visits, high purchasing
power and appreciation for the local
culture.
In the words of a prominent government consultant, “the
retirees are the best tourists the country
can have since they stay on for several
months at a time, create very little trouble
and spend a lot. Likewise, they are
reluctant to uproot and live elsewhere, even
amid unrest for they have become
acclimatized to the surroundings.”
In comparison, the traditional tour package visitors stay but
a few days while plunging into a busy
itinerary of beach and cultural visits, some
nightlife, shopping and probably a few
wellness services. Return visits are
promising, but not guaranteed. Revenues may
be admittedly high, but more for the
short-term period.
But of course, another overlooked factor is the fact that
some of these visitors do return for a
second look-see at Cebu from a different
perspective. Some stay on for months, some
enroll in English schools, others go on dive
tours, while the rest opt to set up a
business. These ventures attest to Cebu’s
multifarious and diverse attractions in
luring in the tourists for short- and
long-term purposes.
Cebu’s Stakeholders Synergize
Through it all, the Philippine Retirement Authority, or
PRA, has gathered various representatives
from the finance sector, the LGUs, service
providers, and the marketing forces in the
region for its first regional conference
held in Cebu.
As PRA chair, Gen. Edgar Aglipay, said that the conference
produced a Memorandum of Cooperation and
Understanding (MOCU) from the delegates
which outlined
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