DOT-6 positions Iloilo City as cruise ship hub

M/V Pacific Venus

The Department of Tourism (DOT-6) is positioning Iloilo City as a hub for international cruise ships.

Lawyer Helen J. Catalbas, DOT-6 director, said a cruise ship carrying some 600 Japanese tourists is set to visit the city in January 2019.

The tourists on board M/V Pacific Venus will witness the celebration of the Dinagyang Festival.

Catalbas said she already requested the Iloilo Dinagyang Foundation (IDFI) to reserve 400 seats at the Freedom Grandstand.

The visit, according to Catalbas, is the start of making the city one of the cruise ship hubs in Western Visayas.

Catalbas said Japanese tourists have a “very high standard” and “the city met that.”

“They recently visited the city to inspect the facilities here. They were impressed.”

Catalbas is confident that more tourists from Japan and other countries will visit the city after the arrival of the cruise ship in January next year.

The 2019 edition of Iloilo City’s world-famous festival is set on January 25-27.

SOURCE: Iloilo Metropolitan Times

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