Officials of the Department of Tourism, led by Undersecretary Atty. Mae Elaine Bathan, met with Gov. Gwen Garcia on Wednesday, April 3 to discuss Cebu’s hosting of the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s (UNWTO) joint commission meetings in June.
The 36th Joint Meeting of the UN Tourism Commission for East Asia and the Pacific; the UN Tourism Commission for South Asia; as well as the first UN Tourism Regional Forum on Gastronomy Tourism for Asia and the Pacific will take place from June 26-28 here.
During the briefing, the Provincial Government agreed to extend hospitality to the delegates by hosting lunch and dinner receptions on June 28.
Additionally, the Capitol also plans to offer a southern heritage trail tour package to the visiting delegates as part of the Suroy-Suroy Sugbo tourism caravan. This initiative aims to showcase the rich cultural heritage and natural beauty of Cebu to the international guests attending the UNWTO meeting.
The UN Tourism Commission Meetings are UN Tourism’s principal annual events in the Asia and the Pacific region, which are attended by participants from the UN Tourism Member States, UN Tourism affiliate members, and international and regional organizations.
The important tourism-related meetings in Cebu are made possible because of the efforts of Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco who also sits as vice president of the 25th General Assembly of the UNWTO and chairperson of the UNWTO’s Commission for East Asia and the Pacific.
The collaboration between the DOT and the Provincial Government underscores their commitment to promoting tourism and fostering international cooperation in the region. | CL