The Sept. 18 to 20 regatta will bring local and international teams to the NUSTAR Boardwalk, where races will be held along a 200-meter course.
“Through this regatta, we also hope to contribute to Cebu’s continued growth as a premier destination for sports tourism and with the support of the Local Government of Cebu, the Department of Tourism, and the Philippine Sports Commission – we are certain that we are heading towards the right direction,” NUSTAR chief operating officer Sean Knights said in a statement.
Beyond leisure tourism
The idea is to turn sporting events into another source of visitor traffic for Cebu, with athletes and supporters creating demand for hotels, restaurants and other tourism businesses during competition weekends.
The Cebu City government, Department of Tourism and Philippine Sports Commission are supporting the regatta, while the Philippine Dragon Boat Federation will handle technical race management and operations.
Seven categories are scheduled, covering premier open, mixed and women’s races as well as corporate, senior, under-24 and Para-Dragon competitions, with teams allowed to participate regardless of federation affiliation.
Philippine Accessible Disability Services will also work with NUSTAR on the event and participating teams, putting adaptive athletes on the same race program as other competitors.
Bringing business with the race
For NUSTAR, the competition also brings visitors directly to its Cebu property, with special accommodation packages available at Fili Hotel Cebu and NUSTAR Hotel Cebu.
The packages cover two nights, applicable participation fees, daily breakfast for up to two guests and complimentary airport transfers for stays from Sept. 18 to 21.
Registration was priced at P2,000 per participant for domestic teams and $50 for international teams, with discounted rates of P1,600 for senior citizens and persons with disabilities and P1,000 for students.
“This is a monumental event not just for NUSTAR, as the integrator of the private sector and national and local government units and agencies, but also for Cebu, as we continue to aspire to be a premier and iconic sports tourism destination,” NUSTAR vice president for business development Katrina Mae de Jesus said.
The second staging gives Cebu another event around which tourism officials and businesses can test whether sports can draw additional visitor spending alongside the province’s established leisure market.
—Edited by Miguel R. Camus
