After several weeks of being kept in the dark, the trade would be kept abreast on the progress of ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) 2006 with the launch of its new website, www.atf06.com, on September 1, according to secretariat/ central communications head for ATF ‘06, Susan del Mundo.
The website will be managed by the Philippines, which has taken over hosting of ATF 2006 from Myanmar.
Meanwhile, preparations for host city Davao have started revving up.
Official venues have begun upgrading their facilities and services. The NCCCMall Convention Center has been designated as the venue for the opening ceremony while the Marco Polo Hotel would provide accommodation to the VIPs. Sites for the ministerial meetings and conferences are still being finalised.
Locations being considered for these events are the Davao Convention and Trade Center, Central Bank Auditorium, or the function rooms of other proposed official hotels such as Waterfront Insular Hotel, Grand Regal, The Royal Mandaya, and Apo View Hotel.NCCC is being eyed to be the venue for the travel exchange (TRAVEX). del Mundo said the final decision would depend on the recommendation made by the event organiser.
With a short lead time, support from Davao’s government and private sector is helping the Department of Tourism (DoT) get on in preparing for the event.
del Mundo said an announcement that Davao City would be hosting ATF in 2006 had been made to the locals in the latter part of August during its annual Kadawayan, a thanksgiving festival.
“It turned out to be a double celebration,” she said. “While they were celebrating Kadayawan, they were also very happy that the city will be hosting the biggest travel forum in South-east Asia.” DoT said some 3,000 guests from all over the world are expected to attend ATF 2006.
The last time the Philippines hosted ATF was in 1998 in Cebu. Immediately after the news broke at the start of August that the Philippines will be hosting ATF 2006 a year earlier than the originally scheduled, other destinations in the country expressed keen interest in vying for the host city status. Among these were Manila, Clark and Cebu.
But they were very late. Philippine Convention and Visitors Corporation executive director Danny Corpuz said that the decision to appoint Davao as the host city was final. Davao’s bid was for ATF 2007 but the government honoured the contract for ATF 2006.
del Mundo said that for “fallback”, Manila would be serve as the alternative host city.
Clark was a strong contender but it did not submit its proposal on time.
