MikeLigalig.com

The direct international flights to Tagbilaran City that was expected to start Dec. 1 won’t happen yet.

This was announced by Bohol Gov. Erico Aumentado Friday citing local factors that has to be resolved first.

“Andam na unta. But the Korean direct flights to Tagbilaran has to be put off, not until we can resolve other matters involving our tourism industry here,” the governor said during his regular weekly radio program “Governor’s Report.”

He cited among others the high airfare from Korea to Manila and to Cebu and the very expensive hotel rates in Bohol.

Local hotel are also reported controlled by just two general sales agents in Korea making it non-competitive unlike neighboring countries of Taiwan, Malaysia and Thailand.

During his visit to South Korea, he met top officials of the Korean Airlines (KAL) inviting them to field chartered flights for tourists direct from Incheon and Pusan to Tagbilaran City.

He also had talks with the general sales agent GSA President Kim Tae of Philippine Airlines and Seoul tour operators raising the problems of high airfare rates from Incheon and Pusan to the Philippinest.

They asked if the Tagbilaran Airport already has immigration, customs and quarantine offices to look after the needs of the tourists.

He also met a Korean investor who has signified pouring over P1 billion worth of investments in tourism and tourism-related activities in Bohol .

Korean tour operators already visited Bohol last June for exploratory talks on chartered flights. As such, Aumentado immediately wrote the head offices in Manila of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ). Both answered that they are prepared to set up offices at the city airport here but wanted to know the flight frequency and other details to determine the personnel strength they need to assign here.

Bohol already has a Bureau of Immigration and Deportation (BID) office in Tagbilaran City.

In the afternoon of Friday, the Governor presided the meeting of the Panglao Island Tourism Estate at the Villa Alzhun Tourist Inn and had initial talks with Peter Dejaresco, Chairman of the Provincial Tourism Council exploring ways to iron out the problems plaguing our local tourism industry.

source: www.theboholstandard.com

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