The tourism industry in Cebu is positioning the province as a Southeast Asian hub, as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) anticipates an uptrend in visitor arrivals amid efforts toward economic and cultural integration, an industry official said.

Mila Espina, chairperson of the Cebu Business Month (CBM) Tourism 2007, cited ASEAN data that project consistent growth in the regional tourism industry, based on positive trends in visitor arrivals in member-countries over the past three years.The ASEAN groups together the Philippines, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

This year’s edition of the annual CBM, spearheaded by the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, highlights the holding of a conference named “Tour Cebu: CBM ASEAN Congress” will in June.

Espina said preliminary figures released at the 10th Meeting of ASEAN Tourism Ministers showed that the region attracted 56 million visitors in 2006, up by 8 percent from year ago.

About half of last year’s visitors are from within the region, driving double-digit growths in visitor arrivals in Cambodia, Laos and Thailand.

( www.inquirer.net )

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