Most
of the airlines flying to and from Davao City are not affected by the different
foreign travel advisories issued by their governments against the cities of
Davao, Zamboanga and Cotabato.
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| Photo courtesy of Rudolph Alama |
Among
the countries that have issued the travel advisory separately are big tourism
markets including Australia, Canada and the United States of America.
“We
had informal discussions with the airlines but we are still gathering data for
possible cancellations as a result of the travel advisories,” City Tourism
Officer Lisette Marques said during Thursday’s iSpeak Forum at the Davao City
Hall.
Marques
said Silkair is a regional airline and these countries are their market so it
is of course affected by the travel advisory. However, she said, most of the
airlines in the city are focused on the domestic market so they are in no way
affected by the advisories.
She
said they have not also seen cancellations in relation to the Kadayawan as a
result of the advisories. “The Ad Congress cancellation is another matter since
it was a result of internal problems,” she added.
Marques
said there are many indications that Davao City is growing as a destination.
She said she has just received information that a medical association has
already scheduled a convention in the city for May 2014 with a delegation of
3,000 people.
When
asked about the preparedness of the city when it comes to accommodation, she
said “this is a happy problem” because it is an indication that many people are
visiting the city.
