Friday, May 16, 2008 Economic forum corner: Setting the stage for advocacy
DURING the debut of this column last May 9, we talked about the 4th Sun.Star Economic Forum held last August 2007 to discuss the problems of Cebu’s tourism industry.
Stakeholders from the industry—from hotel and restaurant operators, to tour operators and mall owners and representatives from the Department of Tourism—weighed in on the issues of manpower, transportation, cleanliness and road infrastructure, saying improvements in these areas could improve the travel experience of tourists, give Cebu a better image, and possibly encourage repeat visits or recommendations to visit the Philippines.
At the end of the conference, the Sun.Star Economic Forum (SEF), a deliberative and advocacy body working for the growth and development of Cebu and Central Visayas, came up with resolutions, setting the stage for its push into advocacy.
In the area of infrastructure, the SEF resolved to ask government to reveal the specific infrastructure projects earmarked for the Central Philippines Tourism Mega-Region and the progress of these projects.
The SEF also supported the Mactan Island Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s proposal for the improvement of some 10 kilometers of road from Cordova to Punta Engaño in Mactan.
A garbage clean-up in Cebu was also supported, with emphasis on areas that tourists frequent, including Carbon Market, which tour operators wanted made clean and safe for tourists.
In the area of facilities, the SEF resolved to seek clean restrooms province-wide for tourists, and tax holidays or other perks for businessmen wanting to bring in big transport vans, like coasters and buses, needed to bring tourists around Cebu.
In conjunction with this, the SEF advocates the lifting by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) 7 of the moratorium on the licensing of new tourist vans.
For the benefit of tourists who wish to explore Cebu on their own, the LTFRB 7 and other authorities will be asked to better monitor taxi drivers, especially those bringing tourists from the airport to their hotels, to prevent overcharging and to ensure the security of tourists.
In the area of manpower, the SEF resolved to ask schools to train tour guides to speak the foreign languages used by tourists, and seek a parallel effort by the relevant government authorities to teach taxi drivers to answer basic questions that tourists might ask, as well as to say a few phrases like “Thank You” in the languages spoken by tourists.
Schools will also be asked to find out and meet the tourism industry’s needs, including its needs for graduates to speak better English and have a better personality, getting the help of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority 7 and the Commission on Higher Education, and tourism players in identifying industry partners where schools can send their students for training.
The SEF supports the expansion of tourism activities by the Department of Tourism and tour operators to include tours to Cebu’s non-urban areas, like the mountains, fishing villages and other natural attractions, with the activities to feature the locals, their customs and their crafts. It is recommended that alternative activities offered to tourists will showcase local skills and give the locals opportunities for microbusiness.
For visitors who wish to extend their stay in the country, the SEF wants the Bureau of Immigration to get rid of red tape and the practice of charging illegal facilitation fees to speed up the processing of visa extensions. It will also seek the transfer of the processing of visas for permanent residents and investors to Cebu, from Manila.
Finally, to encourage entrepreneurs to take advantage of the tourism-related opportunities available, the SEF resolved to ask government to speed up efforts to reduce the time needed to register businesses.
To help promote its advocacies, the Economic Forum Corner now invites stakeholders to send their views and insights on the tourism advocacies mentioned above to economicforum@sunstar. com.ph. (CTL)
