THE Davao City Tourism Operations Office (CTOO) announced that the city is nearing its 2024 tourist arrival target of 1.6 million.
CTOO officer-in-charge Jennifer Romero shared the update at the ISpeak media forum on Thursday, November 14, 2024, confirming that Davao is on track to meet its goal, with 1.4 million tourist arrivals recorded by September.
Romero expressed optimism that the target will be reached in the coming months, especially with the Pasko Fiesta approaching.
“Confident ta na October, November, December, with the 1.6 million, 200,000 nalang musbora gyud siya sa gi project na target this year (We’re confident that with October, November, and December, we’ll secure the additional 200,000 needed to meet the 1.6 million target. In fact, we’re projecting to exceed it),” she said.
Romero highlighted the Pasko Fiesta as a key event to boost tourism. She noted that while the city welcomes international tourists, most visitors are domestic, coming from nearby cities, municipalities, and provinces.
“Atoang gina invite gihapon ang mga local tourists na muanhi diri sa Davao mga nearby areas within the Philippines (We are still inviting local tourists from nearby areas within the Philippines to visit Davao),” she said.
The CTOO is also focusing on attracting families with members who have been abroad and are likely to visit Davao with extended relatives during the holiday season.
Romero added that hosting large events each quarter is part of the strategy to boost tourism.
Looking ahead to 2025, CTOO hopes to surpass the 2019 record of 2.5 million tourist arrivals, aiming 25–30 percent higher than the 2024 goal of 1.6 million. RGP
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