CEBU- BAGUIO MEET FOR CREATIVE EXCHANGE

August 11, 2023 Opinion

The Summer Capital of the Philippines meets the Queen of the South. The two UNESCO Creative
Cities which boasts a rich heritage, shaped by its indigenous communities and colonial histories aims to converge for a partnership spurring tourism and cultural exchange. Led by the Department of Tourism- Cordillera, Regional Director Jovy Ganongan said the Cordillera Creative Tour Exchange in Cebu, in collaboration with DOT-Region 7, aims to expose artists, media, LGU and tourism partners to experience the creativity of the Philippines through an interregional familiarization tour exchange program.

There 21 participants from Baguio City for the include officers and members of the Cordillera
Tourism Press Club, Baguio Tourism Council, Local Government Unit of Baguio City, Council for the Baguio Creative City, regional line agencies and artists. The tour exchange aims to expose artists, media members, local government units and tourism partners to experience the creativity of the Philippines through an inter-regional familiarization program featuring the cultural and artistic assets of UNESCO declared Creative Cities for design and Crafts and Folk Art.

Aside from this Primary Objective, another over reaching claim of the Baguio – Cebu Creative Tour Exchange is to create travel demand between Central Visayas and Baguio City which will further
strengthen the Cebu Baguio flight connectivity that was opened last year. The Creative Tour
Exchange is part of the CebuBaguioCebu Route Development, a strategic plan that targets to create travel demand between Central Visayas and Baguio City, which will further strengthen the Cebu-Baguio flight connectivity that was opened last year.

With art and creativity as a trigger, the creative tour exchange could stir visitor interest for both regions. As a reciprocal creative undertaking and an exchange program, Baguio City anticipates to host and extend similar courtesies to an organized group from Cebu— also with media, tour operators and influencers—who will conduct a similar program in the future that will be initiated by DOT-Region VII.