PROMOTING OUR OWN IN TOURIST SPOTS

The Philippine Star
08/15/08

Without much fanfare, the Department of Tourism launched and ended GREET, its program aimed at promoting entrepreneurship and local tourism efforts by offering the youth and community groups with initial capital assistance to start their own business.

GREET stands for Grassroots Entrepreneurship and Employment in Tourism, and while slightly skewed on the concept of promoting entrepreneurship through eco-tourism, makes a laudable platform to get our young minds to promoting what is truly our culture.

Not only should we expect a surfeit of fresh ideas on how to tackle the country’s tourism program, it would likewise open new avenues of income-generation as well as job creation in the designated tourism priority areas.

It cannot be debated just what the value of tourism is to a developing country like ours. Excluding foreign exchange sent home by our overseas workers, tourism is one of the biggest dollar-generating industries to date.

While government continues to be hobbled by funds badly needed in building such essential infrastructure as roads, bridges, seaports and airports to key tourist destination areas, there are other things that could be done to make visitors enjoy their stay in the country – but without costing an arm and a leg.

Reviving local crafts

An example of how tourism can be combined with job creation and promoting local crafts is happening in Maya, Mexico. There the Haciendas del Mundo helped create businesses owned and operated by Mayan villagers with whom they have partnered. They provided micro-enterprise development workshops and revived traditional handicrafts.

The Haciendas also have literacy training, which is a pro-active strategy in capacity building that provides education and opportunities for the local people.

In the Philippines, it is shocking to find that most goods for sale in major tourist destinations like Boracay, Siargao and El Nido come from China, Thailand, Indonesia and Korea.

The government is spending so much promoting tourism in the area, and yet we find enterprising locals pushed away to sell their wares on sidewalks or the far edges of the malls or shopping areas that tourists visit.

Admittedly, there’s much to be desired in the quality of Filipino products. The mere fact that goods from the countries sell better than those made locally tell us that attention should be given to design and production, even costing.

But if we looked long and hard enough around our tourist destinations, we could find traditional handicrafts worthy of renewed interest and attention. Travellers are always on the look out for souvenirs that encapsulate the local folk’s heritage.

There must be a way by which the local folks can be exposed to design and taught the fundamentals of function and form. With correct sizing, interesting materials selection and creative color combinations, for example of clothing items, such wares could gain wider acceptance and command better prices.

Focusing on the customer

One way that big industry players can help is by having customer-focused data passed on to the small players. Knowing what appeals to the buying public can help local entrepreneurs create better goods and services.

Perhaps it might be a good idea too to include a visit to the cottage industries’ site as part of the local tour. This is standard fare of tour packages in other countries. If it would be too costly to set up a kiosk devoted to Philippine-made products in the center of the tourist belt, then let the tourists come to where the crafts are made.

Going back to GREET, the program is one way by which national government could promote the local entrepreneurship spirit, especially since it also provides training for such business initiatives to succeed.

Let’s just make sure that whatever projects have been given GREET funding are clearly seen in the local tourism map. Resorts and tourist desks at each of the ports of entry should be able to provide comprehensive information to make these projects easy to locate.

The training programs must be aimed at instilling professionalism in our local tourism stakeholders, one that should add to the visitors’ pleasure. Tourists go on holiday to relax. And while vendors cannot be blamed for trying to peddle their wares every chance they get, they must be taught to appreciate and respect the travellers’ wish for some moments to be left alone.

Preserving local heritage

Tourism is not just about delivering an outstanding guest experience. It should be a catalytic agent for employment generation and wealth creation for the locals. For tourism to flourish it must be seen by the locals as a valuable tool for preserving their cultural and natural heritage.

The Haciendas del Mundo in Maya, Mexico is demonstrating how responsible tourism can be a successful business strategy that can directly help alleviate poverty at local levels.

All our tourism industry players, whether big or small, must also be able to demonstrate the same level of environmental and social concern as they push the business of tourism responsibly.

Collegiate Champions League update

The following are the latest standings of teams in various “mother leagues” nationwide as the race heats up on for qualifying slots in the regional championship of the SMART-Champions League 2008 Philippine Collegiate Championship games:

In Region 3 (Quezon and Bicol provinces), University of Nueva Caceres Greyhounds is leading the 4 th Naga City Intercollegiate Basketball League with seven straight wins. Following at second place are the teams of Ateneo de Naga Golden Knights and University of Sta Isabel Vicentians.

In Region 6 (Leyte, Samar), Western Leyte Colleges Mustangs and Eastern Visayas State University Snipers are leading the eleven teams participating in the Ormoc City Schools Basketball Championship.

In Region 7 (Cagayan de Oro, Iligan), the Capitol University Stallions with three wins is leading the pack in the Cagayan de Oro Students Athletic Association tournament with Cagayan de Oro Colleges-Phinma Scorpions following closely.

In Region 8 (Davao, Gen. Santos), the Duterte Basketball League got off the ground with Emar College Red Horse and the Agro Industrial Foundation College Sailors as early leaders.

In Region 9 (Zamboanga provinces), the Zamboanga-Sibugay Basketball Association competitions are ongoing with Universidad de Zamboanga-Ipil and the Kabansalan Technical Institute leading with two wins.

The Philippine Collegiate Championship is a nationwide multi-level competition starting with the “mother league” games. The various leagues’ winning teams will advance to the regional, zonal and the final phase, the “Sweet 16” Final Challenge in Manila.

For more details about the biggest collegiate basketball event for the year sponsored by SMART, visit www.CollegiateChampionsLeague.net

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.