I Love Cebu: A Month-long Travel Fair that Offers Massive Tourism Discounts

The COVID-19 pandemic has hit and disabled tourism harder than any other major economic sector. With the whole world at a standstill, it has caused a sudden and unexpected fall in tourist arrivals due to the closing of borders, airports, and hotels, as well as restrictions on mass gatherings, land travel, and related services. All these drastic changes had cost thousands of jobs.

Close to a year now, the tourism sector is continuously grappling with means to overcome such awful setbacks. With the help of the Department of Tourism, it strengthens the Philippines’ campaign even more with a goal in mind on reopening and recovering the tourism industry. Its main thrust this year 2021 will be focused on local tourism.

THE BIRTH OF I LOVE CEBU

The DOT campaign’s vision has led to the birth of I Love Cebu, a sustained campaign to bring back Cebu tourism led by key persons mainly the HRRAC members and private sectors from the hospitality industry including the Cebu Association of Tour Operators.

I Love Cebu Online Travel Sale Media Launch (from left to right): HRRAC President Alfred Reyes, Lapu-Lapu City Tourism Cultural and Historical Affairs Commission Chairperson Ma. Cynthia “Cindi” King-Chan, Cebu City Tourism Commission (CCTC) chairperson Joy Pesquera, and Mandaue City Tourism Officer Hazel Tamundong. (Photo by Ms. Sunshine Lim, Lapu-Lapu City Tourism Cultural and Historical Affairs Commissioner)

This initiative encourages local travel to help revive tourism exactly a year after the nationwide lockdown. This is done through a digital campaign as it promotes tourist attractions and revitalizes tourism activities and practices in the new normal in traveling ensuring compliance with safety and health standards.

One of its strategies to rebuild the tourism sector is having an online selling platform for consumers, hotels, resorts, and tour operators in Cebu dubbed as I Love Cebu Online Travel Sale. This online travel sale will offer the best accommodation, transportation, and tour packages. According to Hotel, Resort and Restaurant Association of Cebu Inc. (HRRAC) President Alfred Reyes, the online travel sale is also “a great avenue to highlight Cebu’s unique selling points — its history, culture, good food, beautiful beaches, and vibrant marine life.”

I LOVE CEBU ONLINE TRAVEL SALE

Score great deals at amazing prices up to 70% off on rooms, hotels/resorts, and tours on Traveloco’s website https://traveloco.ph/ilovecebu from March 21 to April 30, 2021.

Participating hotels and resorts are Alpa City Suites, Amethyst Boutique Hotel Cebu, bai Hotel Cebu, Bayfront Hotel Cebu, BE Resort Mactan, Bluewater Maribago Beach Resort, Bluewater Sumilon, Cebu Grand Hotel, Cebu Hotel Plus, Cebu Parklane International Hotel, Citadines Cebu City, Citi Park Hotel, Crimson Resort, and Spa Mactan, Diamond and Club Serena, Dusit Thani Mactan Cebu, Golden Prince Hotel, Hotel Elizabeth Cebu, JPark Island Resort & Waterpark Mactan, Marco Polo Plaza Cebu, Mezzo Hotel, One Central Hotel & Suites, OYO 449 Sunrise 888 Oslob, OYO 455 Casa Bonita Inn Oslob, OYO 592 La Briana Guest House Sta Fe, OYO 638 Randy’s Bantayan, OYO 659 Myrna’s Pension Sta Fe, OYO 674 Seaforest Resort, Moalboal, Pacific Cebu Resort, Quest Hotel & Conference Center Cebu, Radisson Blu Cebu, Sarrosa Int’l Hotel, Savoy Hotel Mactan, Shangri-la’s Mactan Resort and Spa, Solea Hotels and Resorts, Waterfront Airport Hotel & Casino, and Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino. Also included in the travel fair are Destination Specialists Cebu Inc, Divaishnavi Int’l. Inc, Experience More Travel Specialists Inc., First United Travel Inc, Funtastic Travel & Tours Inc, Global Link Travel and Tours, Golden JC Holiday Travel, Grand Hope Travel Inc, Green Earth Tours and Travel, Inc, iTRAVEL iEXPLORE Tours & Services, PTN Travel Corporation, Southwind Travel & Tours, Travel with Southwind, Inc, Sun Travel & Tours, Corporation, Travelite Travel and Tours Co, and Wander Lanes Travel Co. Inc.

I Love Cebu is grateful for the invaluable support of the Department of Tourism (DOT), Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), Province of Cebu, City of Lapu-Lapu, City of Mandaue, and City of Cebu. Hotels, Resorts, and Restaurants Association Cebu Inc. (HRRACI), Cebu Alliance of Tour Operation Specialists Inc. (CATOS), Mactan Cebu Airport, and Philippine Airlines.

For more details of the online travel sale, visit I Love Cebu’s Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/ilovecebu032 for updates.