TAKING TOURISM SEVERAL STEPS FURTHER
The Philippine Star
07/30/10

During the past half decade, we have witnessed how the country’s tourism industry has emerged as a key economic driver, with tourist arrival figures and tourism-related revenues and investments jumping significantly year after year.

Millions of Filipinos are now employed in this industry that already accounts for almost 7 percent of our GDP. Even with the global crisis, the country stands to reap more dividends since the global tourism industry, according to the World Tourism Organization, continues to grow by 4 percent each year.

The trade and industry department, in fact, has designated the tourism industry as the number one priority area that the government should develop and promote solely because of its high income and employment generating potential.

There is thus some comfort in the fact that former Makati Business Club executive director Albert Lim is stepping in as secretary of the Department of Tourism. He has had extensive dealings in the industry while in the private sector before.

Improving the score card

Given the relatively strong performance of the tourism industry, Lim is hard pressed to come up more inspired ideas that would enable the tourism industry to reach its full potential. Certainly, he needs to fill in the big shoes left by his predecessors.

An early champion of the tourism industry is Dick Gordon, who served as tourism head before being elected as Senator in 2004. One of his much publicized aspirations was to breach the three million mark in terms of tourist arrivals. And this he delivered.

Gordon’s successor, Joseph Ace Durano, also put in his fair share of hard work. On his last months, from January to May this year, 3.65 million foreign tourists arrived, up by almost 200,000 from the same period in 2009. Without doubt, we will see arrivals surpassing the four million mark this year.

Topping the list of foreign tourists in the first five months of the year are the Koreans (241,589), followed by the Japanese (153,912) and the Americans (147,732). The first two have shown growth rates outstripping that of the U.S.

The direction to focus on the Asian market seems to be valid, especially since China is also fast becoming one of the biggest markets for inbound tourism. The number of mainland Chinese visitors spiraled to 88,386 in the first five months of the year, up from only several thousands when Gordon made a bold move to aggressively crack the lucrative Chinese market.

More work

All these only serve as a reminder – even a challenge – to all tourism stakeholders to work even harder to sustain the momentum of growth, and to seize the opportunity to translate this into more and better economic opportunities for the country and its people.

With the direction set by President Noynoy Aquino during his State of the Nation Address, the government should come up with a list of priority infrastructure investment areas that should boost tourism promotion. Oh, and let’s not forget to prioritize the full operations of NAIA 3 as our international gateway.

Aiming for an even bigger number of foreign tourist arrivals matching those of Thailand, Malaysia or Vietnam will be an exercise in futility if we cannot even install modern, working navigational equipment at out airport in Manila.

We also have to inculcate in our tourism workers what Gordon has been harping about for quite some time: a culture of tourism. We already have the basic assets – a good command of English (or of learning a new language), a warm hospitality, and a genial countenance.

Now, if only we could get rid of those pesky immigration officials, the bureaucratic red tape for interested investors, and have more honest transportation personnel, and reliable tour operators and hotel staff.

Global warming’s perils

The last part of this column deals with the real threat of a worsening global warming on the tourism industry, not just locally but the whole world.
The whole tourism industry is, incidentally, partly responsible for the above. A spike in tourism means there are more airborne flights that emit carbon dioxide (CO2), which has been tagged as the main culprit in global warming.

Definitely, the search for fuel alternatives that aircrafts will use, similar to what is being done for land vehicles, will help. But until that day dawns clear, we have to earnestly do our share, no matter how small this may seem.

For instance, more environment friendly hotels, resorts and lodges in future must be built; existing ones should be refurbished or redesigned to lessen the stress that they heap on the environment. Indeed, the Philippines should be one of the prime movers in efforts to effectively address issues concerning climate change and global warming.

Deutsche Bank Research’s “Climate Change and Tourism: Where will the Journey Lead?” warned that destinations where diving and marine attractions play important roles like the Maldives, Great Barrier Reef in Australia, the Red Sea, and yes, the Philippines, will lose its appeal to tourists when coral reefs and other marine resources get bleached, destroyed or severely damaged due to global warming.

Time and time again we have been warned of the dire consequences of global warming on tourism, and the Aquino administration, along with the tourism chief has this additional task to handle, something that was unheard of in the past.

In fact, all other concerned government agencies should initiate and support moves aimed at adopting sustainable tourism programs and practices anchored on sound economic, environmental, social and climatic concerns.

CESAFI opening

Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI), the major collegiate “mother league” in Cebu and in the entire Southern Islands, is opening its basketball season on Saturday, July 31, at the Cebu City Coliseum.

There are 12 participating teams led by perennial champion University of Visayas Green Lancers, University of Cebu, University of San Jose Recoletos, University of San Carlos, Southwestern University, University of Southern Philippines, Cebu Institute of Technology, Cebu Eastern College, Velez College, Cebu Doctors University, Sacred Heart School (Ateneo de Cebu) and Don Bosco Technological College.

The CESAFI champion and runner-up are automatically seeded to the Sweet 16 Finals of the PCCL Collegiate Champions League. The 3rd and 4th placers will have to go thru the VisMin zonal games to qualify to the Sweet 16 Finals.

Visit www.CollegiateChampionsLeague.net for more details about the CESAFI games and the 2010 Philippine Collegiate Championship games.  

Should you wish to share any insights, write me at Link Edge, 25th Floor, 139 Corporate Center, Valero Street, SalcedoVillage, 1227 MakatiCity. Or e-mail me at reydgamboa@yahoo.com. For a compilation of previous articles, visit www.BizlinksPhilippines.net