By JACKY LYNNE A. OIGA
August 18, 2010, 1:03pm
Calle Crisologo, Vigan, Ilocos Sur. The DoT will learn from Vigan's best practices in promoting local tourism. (Photo by RONALD G. JAYME)
"When you look at the Philippine archipelago on the world map, it is not surprising why so many explorers, travelers, and soldiers have often landed on our shores. Again and again, through the centuries, countless voyagers have found harbor in our country. The great journeys through our archipelago do not die. Or fade away. The experience abides. The memory lingers. And the journey never ends.” Thus, said Department of Tourism (DoT) Secretary Alberto Aldaba Lim in his address before members of the Makati Business Club and the European Chambers of Commerce recently.
Through the years, tourism has become a vital part of the Philippine economy. It contributes ten percent of formal employment, six percent on the gross domestic product, and is the fourth biggest export earner of the country. However, there are still major bottlenecks to overcome, and the new administration has come up with strategies for development to address these problems.
No less than President Aquino has said in his first State of the Nation Address: “Key infrastructures will be put in place to support the development of tourism sector.”
Infrastructure has always been a weak link in the country’s tourism program. From the lack of infrastructure – including lack of air access— the country’s impressive tourism endowments have largely remained unseen by travelers.
Development strategies
According to Secretary Lim, that is now going to change.
“We are working closely with the Department of Transport and Communications, Department of Public Works and Highways, and Department of Energy in prioritizing the roads, airports, waterworks, and power plant needed in our priority destinations.”
Another strategy is product development. Lim reiterated that tourism is not just a game of numbers. It is even more a contest of quality: quality of products, quality of travel experience, and quality of service. Furthermore, the DoT will now make history, culture, and other segments of tourism more visible in tourism development programs.
“For years, we have been putting our highest priority on the sun and sea to the neglect of the other factors that make for a complete tourism package. We have been forgetting what makes us unique in the world – our colorful history and our unique blending of East and West,” Lim said.
Lim further explained that food will now become a key component of the tourism program, as well as shopping, “We must showcase our cuisine in much the same way that European countries, and our neighbors Thailand and Vietnam, have made their cuisine a key part of their tourism and trade initiatives. We must also note the fact that Manila has become a major shopping haven, having some of the biggest malls in Asia.”
And then there is the huge potential of sports and medical tourism. The Philippines can host a string of sports events especially since Filipino athletes are among the best in the world in certain sports, like boxing and billiards. On the other hand, with the country’s abundant supply of world class English-speaking doctors and compassionate care-givers, health and wellness tourism has huge potential for development.
Role of Local Governments
Local governments and local communities must also play a role in tourism development. Lim said the DoT seeks to harness tourism to create jobs and help develop the countryside. In the process, they will involve all the regions and local governments in tourism development.
“Tourism has to develop from the bottom-up, from basic cleanliness to participative planning. Places like Vigan have developed cultural heritage tourism with little help from the national government. We will learn from their best practices and institutionalize support such as framework planning,” Lim said.
Investment and tourism promotions
Lim also said the government will get out of the business of running tourism establishments and start privatizing resorts and lodging houses owned by the former Philippine Tourism Authority.
“Instead, we will encourage the private sector to become more involved in tourism development. Republic Act 9593 provides a package of incentives for investment in tourism enterprises and projects,” Lim stressed.
Also, the DoT’s tourism program will include the intensive marketing and promotion of our country as a tourist destination, and its tourism products and services. The Tourism Law creates the Tourism Promotions Board with half the members elected from the private sector.
“As we build our tourism zones and enterprises, create our tourism products and build tourism infrastructure, so will we strive to market them within our country and to the world using New Media. Most travelers now get their information from the internet and many book their trips online. We will harness the ubiquity of OFWs and overseas compatriots in a single-minded effort to sell our products to the world,” Lim noted.
A New Brand for RP
Moreover, the DoT will create a new brand, not just as a tourist destination, but as a new image for the country.
“Within the limits of our resources and recognizing how advertising sells, we will use that brand to advertise our country and tourism products in key markets around the world,” Lim added.
According to the World Tourism Organization (WTO), Asia will again lead world tourism growth this year. Significantly, Lim pointed out that international perceptions of the Philippines have been on the rise.
The Country Brand Index, the foremost measure of tourism development and capacity in the world today, has pointed to the Philippines as a rising tourist destination in the world.
“For a change, we are not falling but rising in the charts. Further, the Index ranks us as No. 11 among the countries of the Asia-Pacific region. And we are in the top 10 in the ranking of value-for-money destinations. This means that the wind is at our back as we embark on our ambitious tourism program,” Sec. Lim said.
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