Consul General Shi Yong of the Chinese Consulate in Cebu said Bohol is famous in China. The Chinese Consul General called on Gov. Edgar Chatto at the People’s Mansion Tuesday this week.
On his first visit here, Shi Yong said it isn’t any wonder that Bohol, which Chinese name is mint meaning refreshing, has a dynamic tourism market with its beautiful scenes and warm people.
Bohol is a must visit with its impressive eco tourism sites and host of new hotels, he said, citing the province’s remarkable recovery from the earthquake.
Shi Yong noted half a million Chinese visitors to the Philippines last year, a 70% increase. Of this, there were about 175,000 Chinese who visited Visayas.
It is expected that these numbers would increase following bilateral talks during President Rodrigo Duterte’s state visit in Beijing, where one of important discussions was the availability of direct flights from cities in China to the Visayas and Mindanao.
Gov. Chatto for his part welcomed Shi Yong and fellow Chinese consuls, sharing strong China-Bohol relations in tourism as well as in investment.
Based on 2014 statistics of the Tourism office, 28,080 Chinese tourists came to Bohol, about 22.82% of the total market share.
Chatto also spoke of a robust business climate in Bohol, a large part of it run by Filipino-Chinese families. The governor also mentioned maintaining close cooperation with China through Special Envoys of the President of the Philippines to the People’s Republic of China Carlos Chan, adopted son of Bohol and only recently Fernando “Ding†Borja.
Bohol also has a sisterhood agreement with Jiangxi, China on economy, trade, science and technology, culture, education, sports, public health, among others.
Chatto himself went on a visit to China in 2010 to speak at the 2nd World Famous Mountains Conference, which includes the province’s famous Chocolate Hills.
The Chinese Consulate visit to Bohol hopes to further strong relations between China and Bohol in tourism and investment.
Before the courtesy call with the governor, the Chinese consuls met with Tourism office head Jo Cabarrus, Investment Promotions head Ma. Fe Dominise, Culture and Arts head Romulo Tagaan, as well as Philippine National Police PS/Supt. Felipe Natividad, and Philippine Coast Guard commander Benjie Quinisio. (Leah/EDCOM)