Engine of growth

PRAGUE – Visiting this country reminds me again of how much tourism can contribute to a nation’s economy.

Last year travel and tourism contributed $ 4.61 billion to the Czech economy, accounting for 2.6 percent of total GDP and 10 percent of total national employment.

The record 8.08 million foreigners who visited the Czech Republic last year were more than two times greater than the 3.4 million population of Metro Prague.

When I arrived in the square shortly before 5 p.m. last Monday, you could barely move in the dense crowd that had gathered in front of the medieval astronomical clock in the Old City Hall.

The clock is a landmark so famous it is featured in souvenir items around the country. As the clock began chiming, an expectant murmur rose from the crowd and cameras were raised. Small windows opened and closed above the clock face, figurines moved around a few times, the windows closed and then the show was over.

An Asian visitor, probably with the majestic natural and manmade attractions of her native country in mind, openly wondered why the Czech Republic is one of the world’s top tourist destinations. Last year her country received 7.68 million foreign visitors.

From my brief visit here, I can attribute this to a successful, sustained preservation and enhancement of natural and manmade Czech attractions, clever packaging and marketing, and sufficient tourism infrastructure provided by both the private sector and the government.

The Czech Republic is lucky to have been spared from the brunt of world wars, so among its biggest attractions are its medieval structures. The country is reputed to have the largest collection of castles in the world, well preserved together with the communities that grew around such estates during the Middle Ages. These communities include Catholic churches, traditional houses for both the nobility and the working class, government offices that these days often house museums, theaters, classical gardens and quaint shops.

Ancient cobbled streets and arched stone bridges have also been preserved and, as in this Czech capital, are often top tourist attractions.

Charles Bridge in this city’s Old Town is lined with Catholic statues, a large cross, and icons that people touch for luck – similar to the foot of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo. Local artists and craftsmen line the bridge.

From morning till late night, this Czech capital teems with tourists. Last Monday musicians played in Old Town Square and a fire juggling performance started as the sun went down. Al fresco cafés, restaurants and pubs did brisk business. On Monday night the boat cruises on the Vltava River were all full. Swans could be seen on the river even at night.

* * * Bridges and rivers are among the most photographed in the world’s top tourist destinations. As in much of Europe, the bridges and manmade landmarks of Prague are tastefully lit, not with garish “sputnik” lights similar to the ones lining Manila’s Baywalk, but with plain diffused lighting – highlighting structures and the landscape, not the light, and mimicking the glow of lamps in medieval times.

Unfortunately for us, the Pasig and other rivers in urban centers are treated as giant sewers and dumping ground for aborted fetuses and victims of summary executions. Cleaning up the river, although there has been some progress in the past years, is a continuing struggle.

Since the river is seen as a cesspool, Pasig cruises will not sell. Old bridges spanning the Pasig have been replaced by modern ones, although the newly renovated one leading to Quiapo has some history that may be of interest to visitors.

Based on other country’s examples, I’m sure the Pasig can still be rehabilitated. If the riverbanks can be turned into livable enclaves with landscaping and commercial possibilities, there might be greater incentive for citizen participation in keeping the river clean.

It is, of course, easier to keep surroundings clean when there is little urban blight and the poverty rate is low. The Czech Republic has one of Europe’s highest per capita GDP and a strong welfare system including income support and shelter for the jobless. Locals tell me if I see a man living in the street, it’s probably by choice; the hippie lifestyle is alive in this country.

Top tourist destinations are generally kept clean and reasonably safe. All big cities have crime problems and people who cheat tourists. I was warned about pickpockets in this city and taxi drivers who speed up meters when their passenger is a foreigner – also problems in Manila.

Netizens have also complained about price gouging by vendors of the traditional Prague ham in Old Town Square. I saw only one such stall in the square on Monday night so it must be the culprit. The big fat guy wearing an apron and cutting the massive slab of ham being roasted on a wood fire must have read the online reviews, which didn’t improve his mood. When an Asian tourist asked if she could take his picture beside his ham, he snapped, “Lady, I’m no monkey!”

At least Filipinos have an edge over the rest of the world when it comes to natural friendliness and hospitality.

But in terms of safety, we have a big problem. The latest kidnapping of foreigners in a Davao resort can only add to the concerns of potential tourists especially in Europe.

We have Asia’s highest homicide rate, and even foreign visitors are targeted right in Metro Manila. I don’t know what has happened to the special tourism police. It seems President Aquino and the tourism team threw out the idea after Bert Lim was replaced.

Safety problems are not impossible to solve, but this may not happen under the current team.

There is a wide room for improvement in our travel and tourism industry. Even in Metro Manila, there are several areas that can be developed for their historical value.

We can take tips from the Czech Republic, where tiny communities with populations of a few thousand have been declared as World Heritage Sites or with special designations conferred by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

The Historic Center of Prague is a UNESCO World Heritage Center and the astronomical clock plus several others are Heritage Objects. Many other sites and objects are in the process of receiving heritage designations.

We can also apply for heritage recognition for places such as the San Sebastian Church, right in the heart of Manila. And there are even greater possibilities in other parts of the country.

All the improvements can happen if those who have the power to develop travel and tourism understand its potentials for the nation.