CEBU CITY — Citing the poor road conditions and eyesores by the roadsides, tourism stakeholders here are urging the city government here to repair and maintain roads leading to world-class resorts, hotels, and other tourist destinations.

South Korean National Tom Lee, who is a tourism consultant for international hotels, told Manila Bulletin investors have poured billions of pesos to build world-class resorts, especially in Mactan, to entice tourists to come to Cebu but roads leading to the properties are not well-kept and eyesores are visible along the highways.

"Dirty and damaged roads are major turn-offs and will leave negative impressions on tourists," said Lee, who has been coming to the country for the past 17 years.

For his part, National Association of Independent Travel Agencies (NAITAS) Chairman Emeritus Robert Lim Joseph said, during a news forum here Tuesday that dirty and damaged roads, with signs of poverty visible on roadsides, could discourage tourists from coming back.

"Roads are like veins, they connect straight to the destinations like veins connect to the heart. Now our roads are so full of cholesterol," said Joseph, as he urged Government to pump prime infrastructure development and include roads that lead to major tourist destinations.

Lee, meanwhile, said once tourists, who are likely investors, see these roads repaired and maintained, they will surely not have double thoughts in pouring in capital that could lead to job generation.

Both tourism players urged government officials to do away with alleged kickbacks in infrastructure projects so that the budget to be used in repairing and maintaining "tourism roads" can be doubled.

Hotel owners in the region, meanwhile, said the global financial crisis has no or little effect in the local tourist industry and that visitors, in fact, from such new markets as India and China, are flying in to see the country.

Sergio Lim, President of Mango Park Hotel said tourism is the savior of the economy and although stakeholders may have experienced a slowdown in business because of the global financial difficulties, they are looking forward to recovering within a year’s time.

Waterfront Cebu City Hotel General Manager Marco Protacio, who also heads the Hotel, Resorts, and Restaurant Association of Cebu, said the tourism industry is used to the crisis and players are keen on running their businesses as it is.

"The crisis won't stop us. We are okay and there's no need to panic," said Protacio.

Joseph said tourism players must look beyond the crisis and the year 2009. He said in order to survive, tourism players must think ahead and have a five to 10 year tourism plan.

"2009 is just 2009. We need to look beyond that," said Joseph. (Mars Mosqueda)