Saturday, November 25, 2006 Peace with MILF a way to lure Swedish tourists
TO make Cebu and the entire country the next tourism destination of Swedes, the Philippine’s peace and order situation must improve, said Swedish Ambassador to the Philippines Annika Markovic.
“Apart from developing infrastructure and accessibility, the country should establish peace with the MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front) because there’s always the perception that there’s bombing everywhere,” said Markovic during a press conference yesterday, following a meeting with members of the Cebu business community.
Markovic said the Philippines lags Thailand in terms of attracting more tourists.
But the country has a “huge potential” to succeed in tourism.
“Thailand is marketed in such a way that it caters to a broad market, whether for vacation or medical tourism,” she told news reporters.
While Swedes are showing a growing interest in Asia as tourism destination, she said there is a “huge” gap between Swedish tourists traveling to Thailand and those who actually come to the Philippines.
Of Sweden’s nine million population, an average of 250,000 travel to Thailand while only about 15,000 visit the Philippines annually.
“But Thailand and the Philippines are just neighboring countries so if medical tourism, for example, works in Thailand, I don’t see why it shouldn’t work in the Philippines,” she said.
Apart from Thailand and the Philippines, Vietnam is also another favorite destination of Swedish tourists.
Markovic also expressed concern about the high rates imposed by hotels in the country, compared to those in Thailand.
“Although it is cheaper to travel in the Philippines than in Thailand, (the Philippines’) high hotel rates is discouraging many to come,” she said.
She proposed that Philippine travel agents establish a “direct link” between travel agents in Sweden to create an attractive package to “entice” more Swedes to visit the country.
“Swedes are adventurous kind of tourists. We love snorkeling, diving, rock climbing, going to volcanoes and maybe the famous Philippine (Banaue) rice terraces,” Markovic said.
She cited the beaches of Moalboal and Mactan in Cebu, Boracay, Puerto Galera, and those in Panglao, Bohol among those frequently visited by Swedes.
By capitalizing on the province’s beaches and historical sites, Markovic foresees a spur in the growth of Swedish tourists in Cebu. (MMM)
