TIEZA approves P10M for drafting Davao City tourism master plan

DAVAO CITY, which has seen a surge in visitors since mid-2016 following the election of its former mayor, Rodrigo R. Duterte, as the country’s president, is coming up with a tourism master plan after the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) approved a P10-million fund for the project. City Tourism Operations Office (CTOO) head Generose D. Tecson said the task of drafting the master plan will be bid out. Ms. Tecson said she is hopeful that the bidding would start within the first quarter of 2018 and the final master plan ready by the third quarter. She described the city’s tourism industry — including the accommodation, dining, and tour operators, among other sectors — as something like a “jigsaw puzzle” that needs to be put together. “I want a Davao that’s not only as a leading destination for business and leisure but also for arts and culture and even sports tourism. Everything you can find here in Davao, but it is just a matter of putting all these things together,” she said. — Maya M. Padillo