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A Cebu-based travel company has tied up with a local airline to get a share of the market base among local tourists.
Island Banca Cruises hopes to get more local tourists and offer the best island hopping experience in Cebu with their tie up with Cebu Pacific Air (CEB).
The company was optimistic about their partnership saying they have partners with CEB for a long time especially for promotions, said Carlo Borromeo, Island Group marketing head.
Borromeo said the partnership with the local airline company was a fruitful collaboration that helped promote another tourism activity for Cebu.
Agnes Gupalor, Cebu Pacific manager for the Visayas Sales, said they just launched the package two weeks ago and has displayed it in their website.
“We already got many inquiries mostly from local tourists who are planning to have a vacation here,” she said.
The island hopping is part of Cebu Pacific Air's “Fun Tours” package which costs between P1,200 and P2,000, “depending on whether or not the customer would like to include car transfer arrangements,” Gupalor said.
The tour package hopes to highlight three famous island destinations.
“We have Talima, which is a 14-hectare wide marine sanctuary where they can go for diving, Gilutungan (Island) and Pandanon Island with a sprawling sand bar and a seaside chapel, “which is fit for those who are planning to have an island wedding ceremony,” said Kitchie Uy-Cañete, IBC general manager.
Within a year of operations, IBC has redefined the whole concept of both the banca and island hopping by employing top-of-the-line vessels, world-class amenities and well-trained staff who can all speak fluent English, according to Borromeo.
Tourism Undersecretary Phineas Alburo lauded the partnership saying it's important to have private industry players supporting the development of local tourism especially that there are also a good number of local tourists in the country who very well love to experience what Cebu has to offer.
Alburo added that linkages like this can help a lot in terms of lowering costs for tour packages which will also encourage more tourists to try out the package and in return compliment the partnering companies.
