Estremera: Scalping tourist
Spider's Web
A LOUD uproar is going around Dabawenyos and their friends on Facebook regarding the experience of government writer and Sun.Star Davao lifestyle contributor Rudolph Alama's experience of being charged P2,000 for him to use his DSLR camera and photography equipment in this beach resort in the Island Garden City of Samal.
This is not surprising since no less that the Samal government itself tried to put such condition in their ordinance when they first introduced environment user's fee (EUF) for scuba divers. Under the ordinance, which had to be amended because of the loud protest it generated, a diver will be charged P200 per dive and that an additional P500 will be charged for a camera. There were other provisions just as ridiculous, like charging the resorts fees for every guest who arrives when all these are already taxed and corresponding business permits are all paid for.
There is nothing wrong with EUF. In fact, it was the divers themselves who were suggesting that Samal should charge and EUF in order to raise funds to protect the island's marine environment. Batangas charges such, and so with other premier dive destinations. But these charges are well within reason -- like around P200 for the whole duration of the visit never mind if you have a point and shoot camera or the most expensive underwater photography equipment there is, and never mind too if you intend to dive just once or a thousand times. The EUF, however, is used specifically to rehabilitate the environment. The divers themselves see where their money is going, and so they go back, again and again. Bringing with them their gears and their photo equipment, and lots of friends.
Samal didn't understand what an EUF is for, and so it passed a tax ordinance that some insider say was to be earmarked to build a hospital. While out there in Big Ligid, the notorious dynamite fishers continue to blast fishes and corals almost every day, up to this very day.
This ordinance failed to take wings simply because it is ridiculous and a sure-fire way to kill tourism. But apparently, the seed of such idea has already been planted and deemed profitable by this resort. For those who go to their resort with a DSLR camera (apparently because they think this will be for some profitable venture like a commercial shoot), the camera owner will be charged P2,000.
This just underscores the work that the Department of Tourism still has to do: that is of sending the message to the stakeholders that tourists are not people you scalp but whom you treat as best as you could so they will come back, again and again, because of the good memories and experience. The same people who will recommend to friends and family, while showing the beautiful sights and faces the tourist has taken photos of.
In the same way, a visitor who has had a bad experience will bring this story home, and will most likely tell friends and family to never go to that certain place.
The region has a lot of tourism potentials, yes. But we also know how sensitive the industry is. A little disturbance in a sitio five provinces away, then there will be a travel advisory. One displeased customer can bring a lot of ruin. But one pleased customer can bring in a horde. Tourism is all about service and pleasant experiences. That is the product. That these happen in a region with lush natural resources is a big plus. The tourism department then should ensure that every stakeholder knows he has an investment in this industry - the investment to make every customer's experience worth reminiscing. And that includes allowing photographs of these memories.
The department is packaging Samal as a tourist destination, it should prepare the people, including the stakeholders to see the tourists, whether locals or foreign, as their return of investment (ROI) and not as clueless victims all set to be scalped.
The resort can continue to charge P2,000 per DSLR camera, after all, it's a private enterprise. But whether it will have another visitor on its shore is another thing. That's tourism.
The fact that this happened, however, gives a peek into a wrong perception of the tourism business. Should this be prevalent among the people of Samal -- resort owners, resort workers, the manangguite and boatman -- then Samal should just scratch out its dream to be hailed among the premier destinations in Southeast Asia, not even the Philippines. That's tourism.
Published in the Sun.Star Davao newspaper on May 25, 2011.
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