Anticipates a 50% boost in tourism for Kadayawan Festival 2025 in Davao
Davao City, known for its vibrant culture and scenic beauty, is gearing up for a significant boost in tourist arrivals during the upcoming Kadayawan Festival in 2025. The private sector and the city government are collaborating on various initiatives to achieve this ambitious goal.
Nicole Hao Bian Ledesma, President of the Davao Tourism Association, announced that the private sector is offering food promotions and discounts to attract both domestic and foreign visitors. This strategy is part of a broader effort to boost capacity and promotion, supporting the goals set by the Davao City Tourism Operations Office (CTOO).
The CTOO reported 190,068 tourist arrivals in August 2024, an increase from the 178,555 recorded in December. Davao's tourism stakeholders have been actively participating in local and international expos, and the city recently joined travel fairs organized by the Department of Tourism in Osaka, Tokyo, and Haneda, Japan, to attract more Japanese tourists.
For Kadayawan 2025, the city government has allocated ₱60 million for the celebration, a slight increase from the previous year’s ₱59 million budget. The private sector has also raised ₱14 million in sponsorships, up from ₱11 million in 2024.
The festival spans the entire month with many scheduled activities designed to attract tourists, culminating in the Kadayawan Pasasalamat thanksgiving event. A richer, longer program creates wider opportunities for tourist engagement and visitation during August, a peak tourism month.
To further promote the city, Davao is leveraging storytelling and media contests. The "Destination Davao 2025 Videomaking Contest" highlights Davao’s unique identity, culture, and pride, showcasing the city’s development, cultural icons, and hidden gems. This multimedia content aids in digital marketing and appeals to broader audiences, emphasizing community involvement and emotional connection to the city.
Davao is also participating in national and regional tourism initiatives. The region’s involvement in programs like the SALAAM Halal Tourism and Trade Expo 2025 promotes inclusivity in tourism markets and targets Muslim travelers, recognizing the growing halal tourism segment. Additionally, involvement in national tourism summits strengthens partnerships and visibility of Davao as a tourist destination.
The Davao Tourism Association is developing a food discount card featuring special offers from 40 local restaurants. Food fairs and pop-up dining events are planned to enhance the Kadayawan Festival experience. Hotels in Davao are launching special promotions to help increase bookings.
The Davao Mice Board is promoting Davao and the Kadayawan Festival across the Philippines and abroad. City Councilor Myrna Dalodo-Ortiz disclosed that sister cities abroad have been invited to participate in Kadayawan 2025, with confirmed participants including delegations from China, Japan, and the United States.
Atty. Jonah Margarette F. Presto mentioned that changes and an evolution of the festival have been prepared for this year. The CTOO aims for a 50% increase in tourist arrivals during the 2025 Kadayawan Festival, targeting a significant jump from the 200,000 visitors recorded in August last year.
The CTOO reported a 50% increase in tourist arrivals in 2024 compared to 1.2 million in 2023, attributing the growth to the city's proactive and dynamic tourism initiatives. Gene C. Bangayan, co-chair of the Davao Mice Board, stated that Davao now has 9,000 hotel beds available, thanks to new accommodations opening in time for the festival.
Together, these strategies combine enhanced funding, extended and varied festival programming, community-driven promotional content, and targeted market development to boost tourism by 50% for Kadayawan 2025. No detailed breakdown of marketing channels or digital campaigns has been publicly disclosed yet, but the strong collaboration between public and private sectors and engagement in thematic promotions appears central to reaching their tourism surge goal.
- Tourists visiting Davao City during the Kadayawan Festival in 2025 can expect a richer and longer program designed to attract more visitors, with numerous food promotions and discounts offered by local restaurants as part of an initiative by the Davao Tourism Association.
- In addition to their collaboration with the private sector, the Davao City Tourism Operations Office (CTOO) has allocated ₱60 million for the Kadayawan Festival celebration in 2025, with confirmed international delegations from China, Japan, and the United States participating in the event.
- The CTOO aims for a 50% increase in tourist arrivals during the 2025 Kadayawan Festival, accrediting the growth to their proactive tourism initiatives and involvement in regional and national travel fairs, expos, and thematic promotions such as the SALAAM Halal Tourism and Trade Expo 2025.
