eTurbo News  Davao City  should expect new markets starting next
year with the tourism industry more vibrant than what it is today. During
the Club 888 Forum at the Marco Polo Hotel, Davao Tourism
Association president Arturo Boncato, Jr. said there will be an increase in
the foreign market and this will be reinforced with the holding of the Asean
Tourism Forum (ATF) here.

"In terms of what is going on now there are already increases and more will
be coming next year," he said. Boncato noted that more Koreans are coming in
now and even noticed the presence of Korean-based airline representatives
here. "These are indications of their interests in Davao and we expect more
than a 100 percent increase in the number of Korean visitors by next year,"
he said.

Boncato however said that the tourism key players are not abandoning their
long haul market and is also aware of the change in the marketing tack. He
bared the strong interest of the Koreans, Japanese and the Chinese on the
various destinations in the region.

In fact, he said Cebu is the most favored destinations of the Koreans apart
from Palawan and Boracay. He said among those interested are the golfers
aside from the huge honeymoon market. According to Boncato, there are
already efforts made both by government and the private sector to sell the
destinations.

He said the Department of Tourism in coordination with the Philippine
Convention and Visitors Corporation is organizing a group of top media
personalities from Korea for an eight-day visit to Davao. "They need to see
the place for them to come up with good stories about Davao," he said. "A
good promotion of Davao could encourage interested Koreans to come, and we
need to give them idea on how Davao looks like."

Meanwhile Boncato said that the ATF would change our future just like what
happened to other host cities. "With about 3,000 foreign visitors coming in
January 2006 for the ATF we will give them the right feel and experience
once they touched down," he said.

He said arrival must be seamless because to tourists arrivals are important.
There will be ATF centers at the airport and the delegates will be ushered
to the designated centers and their luggage properly ferried to their
respective arrival points.