INTERNATIONAL support, business exchange and packages are crucial to the success of the country’s new tourism products in the next two years, said Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano.

In a speech during the opening of the Travel Market Exchange (Tramex) at Marco Polo Plaza Cebu last week, Durano said there will be 6,000 new hotel rooms across the
country, especially in top tourist destinations, in the next two years.

"Matod Pa Sa Lola ni Noy Kulas." Join the story-writing contest on Cebuano folklore and win prizes.

In the same period, new local destinations will be promoted as airline companies increase their “paradise-to-paradise connectivity.” New tourism packages will also be showcased, highlighting the country’s adventure and eco-tourism front, he said.

In an interview with reporters, Durano said there will be about 1,400 new hotel rooms in Cebu this year, 2,000 in 2009, and another 2,000 in 2010.

He said that these would be the results of tourism investments, both local- and foreign-owned, that came in the country between 2005 and 2007.

“It would take three years (from groundbreaking) for an investment to be completed,” Durano said.

He cited the P4.5-billion Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort and Spa in Lapu-Lapu City, which is expected to be fully opened in September and the Radisson Hotel of the SM Investment Corp. that is projected to open in the last quarter of this year.

“These developments indicate a lot of confidence in the country, not just (in terms of) tourism traffic but also in tourism investments,” he said.

The DOT is hoping for big tourism-related investments this year, although Durano observed that the global financial crisis has affected major financial institutions.

With the “temporary” challenges hounding the tourism sector, he urged local stakeholders not to lose focus on existing opportunities with immediate and long-term benefits for the industry.

He said that these challenges—which include the global financial crisis and the influenza A(H1N1) virus—are “mere veils” that require players to “have a sharp and perceptive vision.”

He added that the participation of 51 international buyers and more than 100 sellers in last week’s Tramex show there is continued confidence in Philippine tourism.

Tramex, organized by the Philippine Convention and Visitors Corp. and the DOT, is a business component of the Philippines International Tourism Fair, which is a venue for business negotiations between foreign buyers and local sellers. Buyers at the fair came from China, India, Russia, Middle East, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan and North America, among others.