TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Philippines — The Bohol Cruise Ship port project in Loon town, Bohol province is still under final construction, but already, Governor Edgar Chatto announced that the provincial government has received early bookings from international tourist ships intending to come and dock in the port in 2013 and 2014 – a clear sign about the booming development in tourism in the province, particularly in the next two years.

The P80-million international cruise ship port project is the first of its kind to be built outside Manila and is expected to be fully operational by May this year.

It is situated in Brgy. Catagbacan Norte in the town of Loon - a second class municipality some 28 kilometers away from Tagbilaran City- and is part of an integrated complex that will also include a transport bulk terminal and container yard and other medium-and-large-scale port related industries.

Chatto described the area in which the international cruise ship port is now being built as a “natural harbor of deep waters which is seen as the most ideal port for international cruise liners as these would not hamper the operations of a regular port serving trade and commerce activities.

Meanwhile, he added, “completion of the second phase of the internationals ship port’s construction shall surely position Loon town as a new hub for tourism, trade and intercultural exchange activities.

Expected inaugural date of said project will be in April or May of this year and is seen to put the town of Loon as well as the entire province of Bohol in the global tourism map.