Three-day
weekend economics
The
Philippine Star
08/18/2003
This week, we
will be "treated" to another one of those three-day breaks
as a result of a recent Malacañang announcement moving the
non-working holiday to mark Ninoy Aquino’s death anniversary
to Aug. 22, which is a Friday, instead of Aug. 21.
The basis for
this scheme – rationalized as holiday economics – has
been equally ridiculed and lauded. Taken to extremes, it can be
downright preposterous as what happened when the country’s
independence day last June 12 was pushed to a Friday, June 13.
Bizarre as it
may be, fact is that such holiday economics – thanks in part
to the breakout of that deadly pneumonia virus SARS – seems
to have given domestic tourism the zest it badly needs. These three-day
weekends are the perfect opportunity to visit any one of the country’s
interesting destinations.
Peace
and order is no problem
Domestic tourism,
unlike that that relies on foreign visitors, is less susceptible
to the peace and order problem, which is often cited as the main
reason for the Philippines’ dismal inbound tourist visitations
count compared with that of other countries in the region.
Unlike foreign
investors who could easily get terrified by the sight of armed men
in uniform taking a hotel hostage, Filipinos have gotten used to
such confrontations, even if it were right smack in the middle of
the country’s biggest business district.
After all, this
is not the first time Makati was used a staging ground for a mutiny.
In fact, the July 27 incident could well be a replay of the December
1989 coup. Even the list of alleged plotters, if we were to believe
the accounts of government investigators, is the same.
Resurgence
in local travel
Even before
the advent of holiday economics, thanks to SARS, Filipinos found
themselves booking tickets – bus, plane or boats – to
local destinations. During the holy week break in April, for example,
hotels in the National Capital Region experienced a 37-percent increase
in occupancy rates.
Instead of flying
to Hong Kong, data showed that 82 percent of guests in five-star
resorts in Palawan that include Amanpulo, Lagen island, El Nido
Miniloc Resort, Club Paradise and Dive Link were the more affluent
local residents.
For the less
affluent, resorts in the Calabarzon area – particularly those
in Puerto Galera and Northern Palawan area – posted from 75-percent
to 100-percent occupancy rates, an increase of nearly 20 percentage
points compared to the same holiday period in 2002, according to
the tourism department.
In Baguio, arrivals
went up 10.5 percent from April 16 to 20 compared to the holy week
period in 2002. Of the droves who went up the summer capital, 87
percent were locals.
According to
a survey made by the DOT Cordillera unit, Victory Liner fielded
100 extra buses during the holy week on top of the regular 170 buses
per day while Philippine Rabbit fielded 20 more buses to complement
its 40 units regularly plying the route. Airline firms experienced
a similar expansion in volume.
Even the south
posted increases in tourism-related businesses. Hotels in Dipolog
City experienced the highest increase in the occupancy rate of 19.75
percent in the region. Dapitan City where the popular Dakak Beach
resort is located registered an increase of 18.50 percent over its
average occupancy rate.
Curiosity
may turn to pique
While the holy week is definitely peak season for local destinations,
the confluence of international terrorism and the outbreak of SARS
has without doubt contributed to encouraging Filipino travelers
to explore the local tourist destinations.
But care must
be taken that this momentum is sustained. Local tourism, for it
to grow, must be nurtured. In a comparative study benchmarking Philippine
tourism with Thailand, glaring lapses were noted particularly in
the infrastructure network and the industry service standards.
Foreign tourists
give good grades to our local sights and friendly smiles, but are
not too happy with travel facilities, starting with plane fares,
bus and boat services, even the efficiency of our hospitable tourism
personnel. These are the basics that even local travelers will be
looking for if domestic tourism is seen to survive the initial curiosity
that has pushed our countrymen to explore local tourist destinations.
Local
tourist as preferred customer
There is a dearth
of local packages that would recommend to the adventurous where
to go, how to get there, where to stay, what to do upon arrival,
and how much the various options will cost. The intention to push
Filipinos to explore their country is there; sadly, the infrastructure
needs to be upgraded.
The government
is spending precious dollars for advertising and promotion programs
abroad to attract foreign tourists. Maybe this amount is better
spent to attract and provide higher quality service to local tourists.
As Filipinos,
we have a duty to know our homeland, to stop being a stranger in
our own country. However, it is government’s role to make that
visit to any of the country’s 7,107 islands a worthwhile trip.
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