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Thursday, February 03, 2005
RP tourist numbers at all-time high: Ace
THE Philippines received the most number of tourists that it had ever received on any given year in 2004.
And the government will support this momentum by spending big time on tourism infrastructure in the next six years.
During an interview over ANC Network earlier this week, Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano said the Philippines drew “almost 2.4 million tourists” last year, eclipsing its previous record of 2.2 million tourists in 1997.
He expressed optimism about the tourism prospects for this year, saying global travel was up, following the downturn in 2003 caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome scare.
There was also evidence of the increasing popularity of Philippine destinations.
He cited Fort Ilocandia in Ilocos, which is getting “four charter flights a day.”
Palawan also has direct flights from Incheon in Korea, he said.
And to keep the tourists coming, “government will spend $3 billion in tourism infrastructure in the next six years,” Durano said.
The money would go toward the building and upgrading of airports, roads and seaports.
There are plans to make international airports in Palawan, Panglao in Bohol, Iloilo and Bacolod City, he said.
Aberration
In regard to the hotel and airline rates, Jojo Clemente III, president of Rajah Tours Philippines, said the Philippines had comparable rates with Malaysia and Indonesia.
He called Thailand an aberration in the region with its very low rates, attributing this to that country’s “overcapacity.”
Clemente also brushed aside fears that security problems are preventing tourists from visiting the Philippines, saying tourists hardly ever mention this as a concern.
Durano agreed, saying that in exit surveys conducted on tourists leaving the Philippines, only six percent mentioned peace and order as a concern.
He also said Task Force Sting Ray was in place, with naval vessels patrolling the Visayas and Mindanao seas to protect the area’s beach resorts.
Rajah’s Clemente said instead of security problems, the Philippines was more known for its beaches, and shopping and entertainment areas.
He ticked off the most popular destinations as Cebu, Boracay, Bohol, Palawan and Manila for Rajah’s clients.
He said tourists liked to visit Glorietta in Manila and had even heard about Greenhills offering good bargains.
Apart from selling the Philippines as a leisure destination, the country is also selling itself as a convention capital.
“Conventions are the lifeblood of Manila hotels,” Durano said.
Big events
And there will be no shortage of these conventions, with Manila already managing to draw international commitments.
Durano cited a gathering of some 1,000 to 1,500 parliamentary leaders worldwide in Manila slated for the middle of this year.
He said the Asean Tourism Forum would also be held in the Philippines in 2007. Another international event is the Taekwondo World Championships in 2006, which will help raise awareness about the Philippines. (CTL )
(February 3, 2005 issue)
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