MANILA, Philippines – The possible opening of the Xiamen-Davao route is seen to create seamless flights both for tourists coming to Davao or those going out to China, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said over the weekend.
DOT Region 11 director Robi Alabado expressed optimism over the prospect of having a direct flight from Davao to Xiamen, saying it would benefit both inbound and outbound tourism in the whole Mindanao region.
Last week, Xiamen Airlines flew its first exploratory flight to Davao, carrying about 80 Chinese tourists and businessmen. Another flight is expected on Wednesday.
Alabado said local tour operators initiated the trial flights to gauge the traffic a Xiamen-Davao flight would bring in and out of Davao City.
“After these test flights, we hope that Xiamen Airlines will see the feasibility of having regular flights,” he said.
The flight would bring in more Chinese tourists to the Mindanao region, and at the same time would make it easier for the Chinese communities in the region to go to China, Alabado also said.
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“We talked to the Chinese community here and they were optimistic because many of our Davao-Chinese here, they actually have their roots in Xiamen,” he said.
“So they are seeing that reunions and visiting relatives are reasons for people from Xiamen to come here to Davao and at the same time, for Davao Chinese people to go to Xiamen,” he added.
Alabado said opening the route would also take advantage of the growing demand for the Chinese tourist market, who are looking for new destinations and attractions to visit.
Chinese visitors are mostly familiar with Cebu, Palawan and Boracay as tourist destinations in the Philippines.
“What we’re doing right now is offering a new destination for our Chinese tourists,” he said, adding the Davao region, particularly Samal Island and Talikud Islands, offer sites and activities suited to the tastes of Chinese tourists.
Meanwhile, the flight would also provide a seamless connection for Chinese locals in the Mindanao region who want to go to China, Alabado added.
“The Chinese communities from different cities in Mindanao, those coming from Cotabato, General Santos, and even as far as Cagayan De Oro, they may opt to use Davao as their airport going to Xiamen, instead of going to Manila,” he said.
Establishing the connectivity between Xiamen and Davao would also present opportunities for China and the Philippines to strengthen their bilateral relations, Alabado said.
