ILOILO City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog disclosed that he will be seeking a meeting soon with the Gokongweis of Cebu Pacific Air to work out a direct flight roundtrip schedule from Hongkong to Iloilo Airport for the Dinagyang Festival in 2012.
Mabilog said the heavy passenger traffic at the Iloilo airport in Cabatuan, Iloilo, especially during Christmas season until the month of February, deemed it necessary to develop Iloilo and absorb international flights.
As it is, the Iloilo Airport of international standards has no international flights to boast of, as tourists prefer to take the Aklan and Caticlan airports to serve the Chinese, Japanese and Korean passengers to go to Boracay Island.
Mabilog said the Iloilo airport is ready and available for foreign passengers, overseas Filipino overseas contract workers (OCWs) and balikbayans who wish to have a vacation and witness the Dinagyang festivities.
The city mayor said the initial target of direct flights will be Hongkong-Iloilo-Hongkong to serve the Chinese passengers and OCWs. Eventually, direct flights to China and Korea will be included in the airlines schedule.
The city tourism and development office has reported the increased arrivals of visitors from Hongkong, China and Korea in the past year to enjoy the festivities and other special events of the city.
Dinagyang Festival celebrated in the last week of January is a premier tourist attraction in the city aside from beaches and natural wonders of nearby Guimaras Island and northern Iloilo, old churches in southern Iloilo, and the unique food preparations of the city.
Mabilog said a passenger-traveler from Iloilo will save much of resources if there is a direct international flight here instead of going to Manila and Cebu for their flights.
The city mayor is also eyeing cooperation of the local travel and tours industry group to participate in booking of passengers for charter or regular international flights.
Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/
(Lydia C. Pendon)
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