Hong Kong travel agents push for lifting of restrictions vs Philippines

Thursday, November 3, 2011

HONG KONG-based travel agents asked their government to lift travel restrictions to the Philippines, more than a year after a bungled hostage rescue in Manila killed at least eight Chinese tourists.

In a recent seminar hosted by the Department of Tourism (DOT) in Hong Kong and Macau, the travel agents reportedly voiced their disagreement with the travel warning and said that it should be immediately lifted or at least downgraded,

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"Many of the agents said that they remain confident and optimistic about tourism in the Philippines and that they will go full blast with their promotions once the alert is lifted," the DOT said.

Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang earlier said the black travel alert on the Philippines would stay unless the Philippines shows improvements in its security measures for tourists.

Tourist safety became a prime issue when a dismissed and disgruntled policeman killed Hong Kong tourists at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila in August 23 last year.

But even before Tsang issued the statement, the Philippine National Police (PNP) had already created a special team of tourist-oriented police officers who were deployed in priority tourist destinations to provide security and police assistance to travellers.

The PNP Highway Patrol Group also created a Special Task Force in December 2010 to stop robbery incidents especially among motorists and bus passengers, including foreign tourists, who visit attractions outside of Manila.

Among the areas included in the National Tourist-Oriented Police for Community Order and Protection (TOP-COP) program are Cebu, Camarines Sur, Metro Manila, Baguio City, Davao City, Boracay, Cagayan de Oro, Zambales, Bohol, Puerto Princesa City, Camiguin, Cagayan Valley, Negros Oriental, and Ilocos Norte.

Despite the travel alert, DOT’s marketing representative for Hong Kong and Macau David Leung said that visitor arrivals from Hong Kong to the Philippines are only down by a little over 20 percent.

“This means about 80 percent still believe that the country is a peaceful and fun destination,” he said.

For its part, the Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA) said their Hong Kong counterparts’ declaration was a vote of confidence for tourism stakeholders in the country.

“The blacklisting has not deterred travel agents from promoting Hong Kong. Likewise, Hong Kong is still the number one destination for Filipino travelers. We really welcome this development,” former PTAA president Maria Paz Alberto told Sun.Star.

DOT is currently preparing for a familiarization tour to the Philippines in November for top executives of selected travel agencies in Hong Kong.

The tour is part of the continuing efforts of the DOT to present the country as a safe and competitive destination, and convince concerned authorities that the Philippines should be removed from the black alert. (Sunnex)