‘Poor infra, site dev’t hounding PH tourism’

The Department of Tourism (DOT) should set its sights on promoting and developing additional tourist destinations amid its drive to lure seven million foreign and local tourists this year, Senator Juan Edgardo Angara said.

“There should be more emphasis on new destinations. Infrastructure is really what’s holding us back,” Angara said during Thursday’s hearing on the Department of Tourism (DOT) budget.

“We can do so much better than 7.4 million tourists. Everyone knows that,” he stressed.

Tourism, he said, is a ‘very low-hanging fruit’ the government should be taking advantage to promote the country’s best places.

Airports, airports, airports “Kahit anong ganda ng promotions natin, hindi natin maiaangat ang bilang ng turista na pumupunta sa bansa hangga’t hindi naaayos ang problema sa airport (No matter how good are tourism promotion initiatives are, the number of tourists won’t significantly rise unless we fix our airports),” Angara stressed.

During the Senate's hearing on the proposed 2019 national budget, Angara, vice chairperson of the Senate finance committee, asked Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat on the status of the airport construction and expansion projects of the DOT so as to improve tourist arrivals in the country.

Romulo-Puyat said the new Bohol International Airport in Panglao is almost complete, while upgrading activities at the San Vicente airport in Palawan and Siargao airport in Surigao del Norte are in the works.

Angara assured that the expansion of San Vicente and Siargao airports would be funded.

Other sites But he said the DOT should fast-track its plans and programs in developing and promoting other tourist destinations in the country.

“While Boracay is still undergoing rehabilitation, this is an opportune time to help bring our other tourist spots, especially in poorer areas, to international recognition,” Angara pointed out.

He cited Sorsogon, Leyte, Negros Oriental, Zamboanga, Catanduanes and Siquijor, which are among the poorest provinces, as potential tourist magnets.

Tourism means jobs The senator stressed that by boosting the tourism industry, it would generate more jobs that could lead to poverty alleviation in these provinces.

According to the DOT, 6.6 million foreign tourists visited the Philippines in 2017. Boracay and Cebu remained the top destinations last year.

This year, the DOT is targeting 7.4 million foreign tourist arrivals.

The agency also said that tourism accounts for 13 percent of the country’s total employment with 5.3 million employed Filipinos in the tourism sector.

Only 6th Of the 10 ASEAN countries, Philippines is ranked 6th in terms of foreign tourist arrivals.

Thailand is leading the pack with 32 million foreign tourists followed by Malaysia with 26 million.