Tourist arrivals way off target

Despite the much-hyped “It’s more fun in the Philippines” tourism promotion campaign, the Department of Tourism (DOT) will not likely meet its ambitious 10 million tourist arrivals target for the year.

Records showed that only 2.6 million were recorded to have arrived in the country from January to June.

Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez admitted during a budget hearing conducted by the House Committee on Appropriations that only 4.8 million tourists arrived in the country in 2014.

Jimenez, however, assured lawmakers next year will be different, with the ten million arrival target expected to be met.

Citing the poor tourism arrival record in the last four years, Buhay Party-list Rep. Lito Atienza is not about to bite into Jimenez’s optimism.

Atienza stated that with the country offering poor infrastructure, monstrous traffic jams and rampant petty crimes to back the beautiful scenery, it is very unlikely the target will be met in 2016.

“Just recently in Manila, two South Koreans became victims of robbery,” Aitenza stated as he chided the DOT for its failure to acknowledge that the country’s peace and order situation is conducive for tourism to prosper.

The 2014 annual report of the United Nations World Tourism Organization stated that although the Philippines recorded a new high in international tourist arrivals with 4.8 million guests, the country still trailed Malaysia (27.4 million tourist arrivals), Singapore (11.8 million), Indonesia (9.4 million) and Vietnam (7.9 million).