TAGBILARAN CITY, March 14 (PNA) — L’Austral of Du Ponant company in France was another international cruise ship that docked here Friday, tour operator Lourdes Sultan said in an exclusive interview.
The cruise ship, Sultan said, was in its maiden voyage in the Philippines and made port call directly in this city. But it’s the fourth to visit Bohol.
Earlier, M/S Europa and Minerva dropped anchors in this city port to ferry its passengers. Just last week, another international ocean liner Caledonian Sky, also in its maiden voyage dropped anchor off Baclayon town, about six kilometers from here.
L’Austral brought in 240 passengers but only 170 passengers took the group tours while some in their own. It had some 250 crew members, 75 of them are Filipinos. Some of the Filipino crew took time off and had their own tour in the city.
The groups’ guided tour in five tourist buses savored the usual menu in tour circuit such as the Chocolate Hills in Carmen town, the Loboc river cruise. The inclusion of Sta. Monica Catholic church in Alburquerque town for the tour came in picture in lieu of the Baclayon church, which undergoing rehabilitation following the earthquake on October 15, 2013, Sultan said.
The groups also were expected to see for themselves how the blacksmith look like and nipa weaving to produce nipa shingles for roofing materials.
This time the city government played host in welcoming the foreign visitors. City Mayor John Geesnell Yap II sent Information officer Fiel Arao-arao-Gabin and tourism coordinator Ms. Ligalig to meet and greet the visitors.
The provincial government was represented by provincial tourism officer Josephine Cabarrus, also to welcome visitors, who were mostly French.
DOT Central Visayas Regional Rowena Lu Y. Montecillo was quoted as saying that the international cruise ships’ frequent visit to Bohol “would restore tourist confidence in the province.”
“The DOT said it has identified cruise tourism as one of the country’s strategic products under the National Tourism Development Plan. It will extend welcome reception and farewell activities for all cruise ships arriving in the country to make their visit unique, fun, and memorable.”
The province of Bohol still lags behind other provinces in Central Visayas. It’s placed third in tourist arrivals with 455,155, Department of Tourism said. The province of Cebu posted 3.02 million tourists, the highest number of arrivals, in 2014. Negros Oriental came in second with 519,429 and Siquijor province, 40,485 arrivals.(PNA)