Shop talk for tourism

Shop talk for tourism

A new initiative is set to offer travelers another reason to love these 7,107 islands

By MAAN D’ASIS PAMARAN

May 8, 2011, 10:49am

From L-R: Ma. Alegria S. Limjoco, Vice Chairman of the PRA; DoT Secretary Alberto A. Lim; and Samie Lim, Vice President for Tourism, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry

MANILA, Philippines -- True story: In a recent trip to Aklan, a metropolis-based tourist went to a sari-sari store to purchase her cellphone load. When she politely asked the tindera if they offered loading services for her particular SMS provider, the latter smirked and replied, “doon sa Maynila, may load.” Of course, this somewhat marred the tourist experience, which was blissfully saved by the beautiful sights of the countryside. This leads to the question of how the locals of tourist hotspots now treat their visitors. They are probably so used to tourists that they have become blasé and indifferent, affecting the world-famous image of Philippine hospitality.  

Thankfully there is a new collective effort to enhance the retail business of the country’s top tourist destinations, via TURISTA-ra Na! Lakbay Turo para sa Micro-Tourism Enterprise. This initiative was made possible through the partnerships of the Department of Tourism (DoT), Philippine Retailers Association (PRA), and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, with the support of Duty Free Philippines.

With this program, grassroots retailers such as souvenir vendors, will have access to training provided by the likes of financial whiz Francis Kong, on aspects such as customer service, inventory, and product presentation. These seminars will be given for free, and the participants, who will be pre-selected by the League of Governors, will receive certificates that they can display in their establishments.

According to DoT Secretary Alberto A. Lim, the program will start a one-year run at selected tourist destinations such as Cebu, Boracay and Baguio and will hopefully work its way to the other spots in the country that have their own charms to offer.

Ma. Alegria S. Limjoco, Vice Chairman of the Philippine Retailers Association says that the program will help upgrade micro businesses into small enterprises. “We will equip them with skills, tools, and best practices to help make shopping a memorable experience for tourists,” she says, in keeping with the mission of making a trip to the Philippines a truly unforgettable experience from touchdown to pasalubong shopping.

It is a timely program that will help boost not just local tourism, but also the local economy. According to DoT figures, visitor turnout in 2010 has exceeded its initial targets. The total number of inbound visitors reached 3.52 million, exceeding the target of 3.3 million. This positive performance of the industry is said to have mitigated the effects of the economic downturn, and allowed the country to post growth in 2010.

Secretary Lim was happy to report that in the first two months of the year alone, there were 670,000 visitors to the country. These figures also gave the retail industry a big boost, as DoT findings show that 27% of tourist spending in 2010 went to shopping.

According to Secretary Lim, the Aquino administration is keen on further developing this industry, which also provides 10% of employment, which means jobs for about 3.4 million Filipinos.

“With one new tourist, we create one new job. This would mean 3 million new jobs, on top of the 3 ½ million, if we reach our targets.”  The National Tourism Development Plan, he says, is about “announcing to the whole world that the Philippines is open for business. Marketing efforts will reach out to the United States, Korea, Japan, and the emerging markets such as Russia, India, and China.”

The Development Plan has earmarked 80 tourism development areas which will be included in the infrastructure improvement plan for the next five years.

“We will continue to strengthen the product in terms of variety and quality. We will improve gateways such as NAIA 1 and upgrade facilities and services to be at par with our international counterparts.  Through the TURISTA-ra Na! program, we will be able to reach out to the people who will interact with the tourists, and show them that even if they only have 3-star facilities, they should provide 5-star service all the time. If you give the visitors a good experience, the numbers will grow, others will follow.”