The Davao City government is targeting at least 250,000 visitors for this year’s Duaw Davao celebration as organizers roll out a wider lineup of tourism, cultural, sports, and lifestyle activities backed by a P21-million budget.
During the Duaw Davao media launch held Thursday at Rogen Inn in Davao City, City Tourism Operations Office (CTOO) Officer-in-Charge Willenito “Will” P. Tormis Jr. said the city strengthened partnerships with private stakeholders and maximized available resources to deliver a larger and more diverse festival this year.
Tormis said that although the budget remains relatively modest compared to major city celebrations such as Araw ng Dabaw and Kadayawan Festival, organizers were able to expand the number of activities through strategic planning and sponsor support.
He explained that the P21-million budget already includes contributions from private sponsors and the city government, covering festival activities scheduled from June 1 to July 15.
According to Tormis, the city hopes to surpass last year’s attendance of nearly 200,000 visitors, especially with the introduction of several new events this year.
“We are targeting around 250,000 visitors for this year’s celebration. With the additional activities, we are optimistic that we can achieve that number,” he said.
The tourism official also noted that Davao City has already recorded a 15 to 17 percent increase in tourist arrivals from January to April this year, further boosting expectations for stronger visitor turnout during the festival season.
Tormis described this year’s Duaw Davao as “bigger” and “braver,” noting that nearly half of the scheduled activities are newly introduced events designed to further promote the city’s tourism and creative industries.
He also highlighted the city’s continuing support for local small and medium enterprises, including coffee and chocolate producers featured in the Duaw Davao Kape and Tsokolate Crawl.
Unlike Araw ng Dabaw, which commemorates cityhood, Kadayawan, which celebrates culture and harvest, and Pasko Fiesta for the Christmas season, Duaw Davao focuses on promoting the city’s broader tourism, recreation, and lifestyle offerings.
This year’s celebration revolves around four major pillars: “Duaw ta sa Davao Turismo,” “Duaw ta sa Arts and Colors,” “Duaw ta sa Fiesta sa San Pedro,” and “Duaw ta sa Sports and Lifestyle.”
Tormis said the festival also forms part of the city’s continuing efforts to improve visitor experiences following Davao City’s recognition by the World Travel Index as one of the country’s top travel destinations.
