Cebu City, the capital of the Philippine resort island of Cebu and a sister city of Russia’s Vladivostok, is set to create a tourism exchange program between the two destinations, Cebu City Mayor Mike Rama told Sputnik.
We will be definitely putting up a program that will exchange Cebu City tourists, [and they will come] to Vladivostok, Rama said on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) in Vladivostok.
The official added that he is accompanied at the forum by the chairwoman of the Cebu City tourism commission, Joy Pesquera, who is bringing Vladivostok, Russia, to Cebu City.
Vladivostok and Cebu City are also in talks over launching direct flights.
When asked to comment on the impact of sanctions against Russia on tourism cooperation between the countries, the official said that he was optimistic about the development in this area even at a current challenging time, adding that politics will pass, friendship should last.
Cebu City signed a sister city agreement with Vladivostok in 1996.
The 8th EEF is taking place on the campus of the Far Eastern Federal University from September 10-13, 2023. RIA Novosti is the official media partner of the forum.
Sputnik / ABC Flash Point News 2023.
Good initiative, because it works both ways, and not like commercial tourism pocketing the corporate profits all for themselves.