Travel and Tourism Industry - Compiled Threads [Archive] - Page 2

rustyboi

May 24th, 2005, 08:11 PM

RP sustains growth in tourist arrivals
By INQ7.net

THE PHILIPPINES' international tourist arrivals for January to February 2005 reached 420,376, growing by 9.2 percent from the 384,859 recorded in the same period last year, according to statistics from the Department of Tourism (DOT).

Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano said in a press statement that North American and Korean tourists continue to dominate the country's visitor arrivals, jointly contributing 40.5 percent to the aggregate visitor arrivals for the first two months of the year.

Visitor arrivals from the US market for January-February 2005 hit 89,257, increasing by 14.9 percent from the 77,659 recorded last year notwithstanding the travel advisory issued by the United States to its nationals against traveling to the Philippines.

"The North American market has been the consistent top contributor of visitor traffic to the Philippines. Our marketing thrust, now being carried out in part through continued participation in key travel and trade fair exhibitions abroad, is the promotion of our country's natural attractions and beaches to the travelers from this region," Durano said.

Korea remains the country's second biggest source of foreign tourists, with 81,013 visitor arrivals for the first two months. This is significantly higher than the 69,722 Korean tourists who visited the country during the same period last year.

Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom also registered double-digit increases in tourist arrivals, growing by 16.8 percent, 18.5 percent, and 14.3 percent, respectively, despite the travel warnings issued by their governments after
the isolated bombing incidents in mid-February.

A total of 22,892 European tourists arrived in the country in January-February 2005, or higher than the 20,635 logged in the same period last year.

"For Europe, DOT will continue to position the Philippines as a warm destination. Many Europeans are attracted to our white sand beaches and variety of rare and exotic marine life," said Durano.

He noted that marketing efforts in Mainland China have begun to make significant inroads into the Chinese tourist market, with some 8,836 Chinese travelers visiting the country in January-February this year, or 33.3 percent more
than the 6,629 registered in the same period last year.

Tourist arrivals from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Malaysia have likewise sustained positive growths in January-February 2005.

"Foreigners keep coming to the Philippines because there is so much to be seen in our country -- with its many islands, mountains, beaches, towns and cities, and festivals, among others. In addition, they are most impressed with Filipino hospitality," Durano said.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y54/cebupics/SSC/cebu-sample02.jpg

janchiz

May 24th, 2005, 09:55 PM

The many photos posted in this forum shows off how naturally beautiful Philippines is. Apart from the culture, the natural beauty of the Philippines is one of the reasons that keeps me yearning to visit and/or live in the Philippines. I agree that many tourists who go to the Philippines the first time seem to be addicted with the experience they had and want to travel and explore more of the Philippines. Tourists go home and spread the word to friends and families. This is a good sign for the economy of the Philippines. However, I am fearful that the natural beauty of the Philippines might be exploited to accommodate the apetite of many western people in terms of travelling and exploring the place. It would be nice if the government will look at measures on how to preserve the natural beauty of the place before it gets totally exploited. I am certain that rich businessmen (local and abroad) will soon invest money to develop areas in the Philippines for tourists and never give anything back to mother nature. I am not being pro-terrorist, however, terrorism in some ways help in the preservation of the place from exploitation. However, I hope that insurgency problems and any activities with terroristic nature would soon stop (sounding so idealistic) and better measures in preserving the beauty of the place would be looked at.

naughtyins0mniac

May 25th, 2005, 01:17 AM

New Airports to Boost Philippine Tourism
Apr 08, 05 | 11:29 am

In line with its aggressive marketing campaign to spur domestic travel and encourage investments in local regions, the Department of Tourism (DOT) is undertaking the refurbishing of existing airports and the construction of new ones.

Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano said the DOT and the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) have embarked on a prioritized program to upgrade the country’s airports to serve as gateways to major tourism destinations.

“The enhanced efforts of the DOT and the DOTC to attract more local and foreign tourists would ultimately translate to national economic growth, as
more tourists mean more jobs and livelihood opportunities for all,” he said.
Durano added that developments in airport terminals and facilities in the northern part of the country would make travel to these regions easier.

The completion of development work on the runway and terminal facilities at the Loakan and Bagabag Airports and the introduction of regular flights to the region would give tourists and potential investors bound for the Cordillera region to visit Baguio City, the Banaue Rice Terraces, and the
heritage sites in Banaue, Hungduan, Kiangan, and Mayoyao an option in avoiding the long land trip.

Travel to and economic development in the provinces of Abra, Benguet, La Union, Ilocos, and Pangasinan would likewise be stimulated with the
upgrading of the Laoag International Airport to full international standards, the extension of the Vigan Airport runway, and the opening of a
new airport in San Fernando.

The major expansion of the passenger terminal in the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) to accommodate 1.5 million passengers in the
next five years could also attract low-cost airlines carrying tourists and businessmen to sites in Clark in Pampanga. The DMIA terminal currently
serves an average of 800,000 passengers a year.

To cope with the increasing tourist traffic in Palawan, Durano said plans are underway to upgrade the Palawan International Airport to meet
international standards. The DOTC has also programmed the improvement of the existing Busuanga Airport and the construction of the El Nido Airport to serve as links to the Northern Palawan destinations.

According to Durano, other airports are likewise scheduled for construction and upgrading. These include the Regional International Airport in Daraga
City in Albay; the Caticlan Airport in Aklan; the new Iloilo Airport; the Silay Airport in Bacolod; the Panglao and Tagbilaran Airports in Bohol; the
Daniel Z. Romualdez (DZR) Airport in Tacloban City; the new Zamboanga International Airport; the Dipolog Airport; the Pagadian Airport; and Iligan’s Baloi Airport in Lanao del Norte.

To link economic centers and key growth areas, the development of regional airports –the Laguindingan International Standard Airport, the Cotabato Airport, the Siargao Airport, the Butuan Airport, and the Sanga-Sanga Airport in the ARMM – will also be pursued.
_______________________________________
im not sure if this article goes here..

chymera00

May 25th, 2005, 10:59 AM

Guimaras

Puerto del Mar Beach Resort
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid170/p0257096558a1e0cc98c51a8405ec8b6b/f3fc9417.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid170/p998021ca66590add7290f62c3f50a6c7/f3fc9408.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid170/p91dac56ce34ee4669bd5a72175b5d3af/f3fc93e6.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid170/p75f724b167df6a3726d018083dd401fd/f3fc93d0.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid170/p129312b6b7286adb183e7d94aa488d31/f3fc93f5.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2126243500&idx=9
http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2126243500&idx=12

Alubihod (Raymen Beach Resort)
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid170/p5a60a28b912ff5d6dd342415465a352c/f3fc917e.jpg

More Pictures here:
The Nature Thread (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=4237887&postcount=144)
Iloilo City and Province Thread (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=4237878&postcount=100)
Full Album @ ImageStation (http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2126243500)

richpol

May 25th, 2005, 01:18 PM

check this article about manila.
http://www.hoteltravel.com/tangent/042005/tangent_2nd_article.htm

kiretoce

May 25th, 2005, 02:34 PM

/\ Great find and a great read too! :okay: Thanks @richpol! It only proves that those travel warnings about Manila (and the Philippines as a whole) are unfounded. Many travellers come to Manila expecting the worse but leave wanting more! :colgate:

kiretoce

May 25th, 2005, 09:41 PM

In spite of travel warnings, tourists continue to visit RP; Koreans, Chinese, Japanese comprise bulk of visitors
By MARS W. MOSQUEDA JR.

CEBU CITY — Despite the travel advisories issued by several countries against visits to the Philippines, foreigners from the United States, Great Britain, Canada, and Australia continue to visit the country.

Tourism Undersecretary Phineas Alburo, speaking at the PIA Kapihan sa Turismo, expressed confidence that the travel advisories issued by the western countries would not affect the aggressive international campaign of the Department of Tourism (DoT) to market the Philippines as a tourist haven in Asia.

A study conducted by the World Tourism Organization (WTO) concluded that despite threats of terrorism all over the world, tourists continue to travel as long as they see that the authorities are on top of the situation.

Koreans, Japanese, and Chinese comprised the largest group of foreigners traveling to the Philippines, particularly Cebu.

Of the 2.4 million tourists who arrived in the country last year, 1.7 million visited Cebu, and 700,000 opted to visit Boracay.

This development was officially announced by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo before members of the Cebu and Manila press during a media interaction in Daanbantayan, Cebu early this month.

The DoT is concentrating its global marketing efforts on the promotion of the Philippines in North Asia, specifically Japan, China, and Korea where there are no travel advisories being issued against the Philippines, said Undersecretary Alburo.

However, Alburo said that the DoT is not abandoning North America and Europe.

The "Balikbayan Program" of the DoT lures Filipinos residing or working abroad such as the United States, Canada, and Europe to take advantage of the familiarization package tours in their homeland, the tourism official said.

For this year, the undersecretary said, the DoT is targeting 2.5 million tourist arrivals and is optimistic to achieve a target of five million tourist arrivals by 2010.

President Arroyo, who opened the Philippine Investment Conference in Cebu last March, reported that tourism is one of the prime movers of economic growth aside from energy and power, ICT, outsourcing, and mining.

The President said that the government is pushing two investment opportunities in Cebu in the fields of business process outsourcing and tourism, noting that Cebu is dubbed as the premier city and province of Central Philippines.

rustyboi

May 26th, 2005, 01:24 AM

WOW, this is definitely good news for Cebu and the Philippines! thanks for the article Kiretoce. :D

Olango Island, Cebu
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y54/cebupics/SSC/cebuphils03.jpg

rustyboi

May 26th, 2005, 01:30 AM

European national invests on a resort facility in Boljoon, Cebu
by Ehda M. Dago-oc
May 25, 2005

Anticipating the good tourism growth in Cebu province, a European national has taken advantage to invest on a two-hectare resort facility at the southern part of Cebu, in Boljoon town.
Stu Gould, who is married to a Cebuana and a Boljoon resident, has started the construction of a 20-room resort that would provide additional accommodation facility in the province.

In an interview with Gould, he said that the construction will be completed in a year’s time, and it will be operational anytime in 2006.

Gould, who operated a diving shop in Cebu a few years back, said he is seeing a good tourism growth in Cebu, especially in the countryside of the province, and that prompted him to invest on a resort facility.

Besides, he said what remains to be a problem in Cebu right now, is the availability of good accommodation facilities especially in the far-flung towns, outside of Metro Cebu.

“The growth of visitor’s preference will now expand to the towns, not only limited to the Mactan island,” Gould said.

As soon as the project will be completed, Gould said he would then decide to give a name to the resort, which will provide a high-end accommodation service that would also include a diving shop facility, among others.

He believes that Cebu’s rich marine resources and good tropical temperature could lure foreign tourists to enjoy the beach, significantly the diving attraction.

Earlier, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo urged the businessmen and capitalists in Cebu to build resort facilities in the towns of the province.

The President said Cebu should start to create accommodation facilities that do not only concentrate in the urban centers like Cebu City and Mactan, but maximize the good tourism advantage in the towns from north to southern parts of Cebu.

Arroyo said the tourism potential in the entire Cebu province should be highlighted further and creating tourism related facilities such as hotels, resorts is the most important requirement.

Gould, however, refused to divulge on the cost of the two-hectare resort project, saying he invested a considerable amount of money and confident of getting its

Return of Investment (ROI) in the short span of time.

The foreign investor also mentioned the lack of government’s support to assist investors like him in putting up tourism related facilities.

“I don’t know where to get professional and administrative help in terms of getting through the tourism related requirements of the project,” Gould said in an interview with The Freeman.

He suggested that the government should create a special window to help foreign investors like him in getting through the tourism related projects.

The Osmeña Peak
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y54/cebupics/SSC/cebuphils02.jpg

Mango

May 26th, 2005, 05:12 PM

26 Canadian travel agents start RP tour

By JOSEPH G. LARIOSA

OTTAWA, Canada — 26 Canadian travel agents based in Toronto, Ontario arrived in Manila last Wednesday to sample the various tourist spots in the Philippines that enjoyed a sudden popularity in the wake of the tsunamis that devastated its neighboring countries.

Philippine Ambassador to Canada Francisco L. Benedicto said the travel agents represent mainstream travel organizations.

John A. Tanjangco, representative of the Philippine Department of Tourism based in Toronto, said the group is going to visit Manila, Bohol’s Chocolate Hills and Boracay.

In Bohol, the group, which will be accompanied by a professional photographer, will also be Dolphin-watching.

Tanjangco said, "We will also be promoting scuba-diving and snorkeling to these tourists," popular come-ons by countries devastated by tsunamis last year.

The group was assembled by Jade travel agency, the Kansas-based agency and biggest tourism operator in Asia.

It is reflective of the increasing tourist traffic from Canada, which now accounts for the seventh largest group of tourists visiting the Philippines, according to Atty. Alejandro B. Mosquera, Toronto Philippine Consul General, who is also actively involved in selling the Philippines in his jurisdiction. The other groups of countries visiting the Philippines in ordinal ranking are United States (first), South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Australia (sixth), Comparative statistics show that from January to March this year, there were 20,000 tourists from Canada, an increase of 21 % to last year’s arrival of the same period of 16,000.

The trip is co-sponsored by Cathay Pacific and Wow Philippines program under Tourism Secretary Joseph "Ace" H. Durano. (lariosa_jos@sbcglobal.net)

rustyboi

May 27th, 2005, 02:05 AM

Japan sales blitz to offer RP as tourism, investment site
May 26, 2005

The Philippines will go on a 10-day marketing blitz in Japan to sell itself as a tourism and investment haven in Asia.

The 60-man Philippine Business Mission to Japan, set for June 1-10, will be led by Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano, said the Philippine Information Agency 7.

Around 10 Cebu delegates will join the international economic roadshow from the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Cebu Pacific, Cebu Boardwalk, Waterfront Hotels and Casinos, Shangri-la’s Mactan Island Resort and travel agencies.

Tourism Undersecretary Phineas Alburo said the mission will cover Osaka, Nagoya and Tokyo.

Alburo said that in the first quarter of this year, Japanese tourists still topped the ranking of foreign nationals visiting Cebu at 30,519 visitors, followed by visitors from Korea (27,958), Taiwan, Hong Kong and China (1,574).

Japanese arrivals were up 23 percent from the same period last year, while Korean arrivals were up 20 percent from a year ago.

Alburo, however, said the DOT is not abandoning other countries.

The “Balikbayan Program” lures Filipinos residing or working in other countries to take advantage of the familiarization package tours to their homeland.

Department of Transportation and Communications Secretary Leandro Mendoza said the anticipated increase in arrivals to Cebu may necessitate the building of a new international terminal at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport.

In a statement, he said there was a 27 percent jump in the number of international passengers and nine percent hike in the volume of domestic passenters served by the Mactan airport in 2004.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y54/cebupics/SSC/cebu-sample02.jpg

Mango

June 1st, 2005, 01:49 AM

Taken from www.mb.com.ph
Durano eyes big chunk of Korea’s 10M tourists

By RACHEL C. BARAWID

Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano flies today with his 70-member delegation to Seoul for the 18th Korea World Travel Fair (KOFTA), armed with a special presentation and marketing strategies that aim to further boost Korean arrivals in the Philippines.

Over 40 countries are expected to participate in this five-day (June 1-5) travel fair will be held at the Convention and Exhibition Center (COEX) in Seoul.

Durano is confident that through joint efforts of his delegation composed of tourism stakeholders, cultural performers, marketing officials from government and local government units, and media practitioners, the Philippines will be able to secure a larger share of the 10 million Korean outbound travelers and enable the DOT to achieve its target of half a million Korean arrivals by yearend.

What makes this particular trip more significant for the country is the invitation for Durano to be the guest of honor at KOTFA’s opening ceremonies.

"I am deeply honored to have been accorded the highest status of a guest in this international travel event. Knowing it is the biggest and the most important travel fair in Korea, with more than 40 countries participating, makes me feel proud of what we have accomplished in terms of tourism promotion," Durano said.

According to Maricon Ebron, head of DOT’s Team Korea, the KOTFA organizers were impressed with Durano’s vigorous tourism campaigns in Korea so they chose him to be this year’s special guest of honor.

"Secretary Durano’s More than the Usual Warmth…Feel the Philippines’ campaign in Korea has earned for the Philippines an award for Best Promotions during Expo Daegu 2005. The campaign also resulted to an 18.7 percent growth rate in Korean tourism arrivals during the first quarter of the year," Ebron noted.

For the KOTFA Travel Fair, the DOT has reserved a 180-square meter exhibition area to accommodate the participants and the Philippine presentation which centers on the Spanish influences on Philippine culture and accentuated by visuals of the popular tourist destinations. There will also be a cultural show featuring native songs and dances, the Flores de Mayo, and a fashion show using indigenous fabrics.

After the opening ceremony, the DoT will present its marketing plans and the newest destinations and investment opportunities before some 50 members of the media and 150 Korean travel agents in a media conference and travel trade presentation.

Durano will likewise meet with editors and writers from Korea’s leading newspapers and travel publications as well as with officials from top wholesalers and travel associations in Korea.

The leading international travel show in Korea, KOFTA is considered as the most influential and the only professional travel exhibition that is working closely with the Korean tourism industry. Last year, it attracted 86,702 visitors from the travel trade and was attended by 352 exhibitors.

Korea is now the Philippines’ second largest tourist market next to the United States, overtaking Japan which is now on the third slot.

stephencua

June 2nd, 2005, 05:26 AM

taken from inq7.net.. it looks like the DOT is doing a good job to reach the 5M tourists goal by 2010 of the president..

April tourist arrivals up 8.9%
Posted: 11:17 AM | Jun. 02, 2005

TOURIST arrivals in April rose 8.9 percent year-on-year to 209,381 from 192,203 in the same month last year, the Department of Tourism said.

In January to April, 771,569 tourists visited the Philippines, up 10.5 percent from a year earlier.

Visitors from the US were the single biggest group by country, reaching 44,365 in April.

Mango

June 2nd, 2005, 08:12 AM

^^yeah, Sec. Durano should be commended for his relentless campaign of the Philippines in the global arena. Advertise, advertise, advertise is his motto and it seems to be working...

_zner_

June 2nd, 2005, 01:47 PM

they should advertise more in the tv... it might help..

i hope the tourists in the phil will reach 3million... last year thailand has 10million tourists... whoa..

Mango

June 2nd, 2005, 02:12 PM

5M tourists by 2010, is well... quite small compare to our neighbors, but at least it is a realistic target :D

OtAkAw

June 2nd, 2005, 04:59 PM

Yeah, they should advertise ALOT like what Thailand is doing: An ad in every edition of TIME magazine (and other mags), regular tv ads in CNN or other networks etc. If possible, be desperate enough to have a boom on tourist arrivals.

kiretoce

June 2nd, 2005, 08:00 PM

Philippines Aims to Attract 1 Million Koreans in 2010
By Kim Rahn

The Philippines aims to attract 500,000 Korean visitors to the country this year, and 1 million visitors per year by 2010, said Joseph H. Durano, secretary of the Philippine Department of Tourism. Durano came to Korea on Tuesday to participate in the Korea World Travel Fair (KOTRA) held from Thursday through Sunday at COEX in southern Seoul. The tourism department is intensively promoting travel programs to attract more Koreans to the country.

"Korea was the third largest country in terms of the number of visitors to our country last year, followed by the U.S. and Japan, with 378,602 travelers, 24.6 percent up from 2003,’’ Durano said during a media briefing Wednesday.

The number has been growing this year, as 113,491 people already visited the Philippines in the first three months, an 18.7 percent increase from 95,580 during the same period of 2003. The country is promoting the campaign ``More than the usual warmth, Feel the Philippines!’’ only for the Korean market.

"We present various tour programs so that tours in the Philippines can meet every traveler’s interests,’’ the 35-year-old secretary said. Families can enjoy their holiday, and romantic five-star hotels will be perfect for newlyweds. Students can study English in the country where English is used almost as an official language among dozens of dialects.

The crystal blue ocean also welcomes divers, and fans of golf can play on courses designed by world-famous golfers. The tourism body also disclosed a five-minute video advertisement for the first time at the briefing. The video ad features the Philippines’ various cultures that have both traditional and modern aspects and both eastern and western styles.

"For Korean visitors’ convenience, we started providing the `Meet and Assist’ program last December,’’ Durano said. The program provides Korean-speaking attendants at guide booths in airports. Through the program, Philippine guides learn the Korean language while Korean guides learn about the country.

About 120,000 Koreans live in the country. Last month, a Korean opened a spa resort. "Such resorts operated by Koreans are welcomed as they bring more Korean travelers and create jobs for Filipinos,’’ he said.

The tourism department also tried to improve access for Korean tourists to the country. A total of 37 flights operate between the two nations per week. Korean Air and Asiana Airlines plan to provide direct services to Cebu, one of the famous resort islands in the country, beginning this summer, Durano said.

Also, a new terminal at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila this year to ease air traffic congestion.

Some are concerned about the security of the Philippines, as nine journalists were killed in the country this year. "We will remove the negative publicity by having more positive publicity,’’ Durano said. He said many foreign people choose the country as not only a travel destination but also their second home, adding it ensures the nation’s security.

Durano accompanied about 70 delegations, the largest number ever that the country has sent for KOTRA. The participants, including performers, travel agents, airline officials and reporters, operate 20 pavilions at the fair. The delegations will present a performance and parade symbolizing Flores de Mayo, one of the largest festivals in the Philippines.

Skyblade

June 2nd, 2005, 08:05 PM

5M tourists by 2010, is well... quite small compare to our neighbors, but at least it is a realistic target :D
I guess this is where we enter in this plan as Filipinos by promoting more. :D

amigo32

June 3rd, 2005, 12:41 AM

Manila Bulletin (http://www.mb.com.ph/TOUR2005060336013.html)

Phil Center will rise in Taihu Lake Paradise Resort, Huzhou City in China

Amidst world-class hotels, condominiums, water sports, a yacht club, educational facilities, shopping centers and other attractions, a Philippine Center will emerge in a 40-hectare lake resort in Huzhou City near Shanghai, in China.

Taihu Lake Paradise Resort, now existing with limited amenities, will soon be developed and upgraded with facilities that will even exceed the standards of similar international resorts.

Thus, the envisioned Philippine Center will be a showcase of the country’s tourism and investment potentials. No doubt, it will be an effective information venue for mainland Chinese wanting to know more about the Philippines.

Last year, Taihu Lake Paradise Resort with substandard comforts, has attracted 8.2 million visitors. It is the only government-owned lake resort that has been privatized.

The scenic area is surrounded by five cities the heart of which is Huzhou City, and the center of some 15 other circumferential cities under the Shanghai Pudong Development Zone. The resort is just as hour’s drive from Shanghai City, and 40 minutes from Hangzhou City.

The project developer is the Philippine Jiesheng International Investment Group Co., Ltd. It will handle planning, construction, marketing and management of the leisure and vacation paradise.

Significantly, the venture is the first joint real estate project between China and the Philippines in the area.

The developers are the Tang family of Shanghai and the Bautista family of Baguio and Manila. The former owns 60 percent and the latter, 40 percent.

Shanghai Deputy Mayor Ding Wen Ben who is also the top official of the city’s Economic and Technological Development office, is the collaborator of the development project.

Recently officials of the Huzhou Municipal People’s Government and from the Jiesheng group came over for a five-day visit of some major cities in the country, and conferred with Benjamin C. Bautista, chairman and CEO of Eduplan Philippines, Inc.

The delegation members, most of whom were first-time visitors to the Philippines, were Cai Zhemin, deputy secretary of Huzhou Municipal People’s Government; Yao Xinmin, director of Huzhou Water Resources Bureau; Dai Jian, assistant director of Huzhou Construction Bureau; Ye Jianxin, director of Land Resources Bureau HETD Branch; Xu Guosheng, deputy director of the Administration of Huzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone; Sun Yunhua, interpreter of the Administration of Huzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone; and Zhu Liqun, section chief of Huzhou Merchant Bureau.

From the Philippines – Jiesheng were Alice Tang Shiling, Clark Tang Shiming and Jason Wang.

sandrin

June 3rd, 2005, 04:09 AM

Subic, Clark next Asian tourism hub

By EMMIE V. ABADILLA

The Subic-Clark economic growth corridor will soon be transformed into Asia’s next commercial and tourism hub in Asia, according to Patrick C. Gregorio, Tourism Director General of the Subic-Clark Alliance Development (SCAD) Corp., the new corporate entity that will handle the development of the Central Luzon boom area.

"By enabling infrastructure development in Subic, Clark and their surrounding areas, we will have a new economic center that will not only compete with Metro Manila, but also with the best cities in Asia in attracting investors and travelers who can help the Philippine economy in the race towards industrialization," he explained.

Gregorio, who is president of Waterfront Hotels and Casinos in Cebu City, is also the founding chairman of the private sector-led Cebu Visitors and Convention Bureau.

The new Tourism Director General said he wants to share his expertise in the tourism industry and focus his management skills, which he has acquired from running the Waterfront hotels, on establishing SCAD Corp. as a model government corporation, with crucial role in economic development.

As a corporate arm of the two former American military bases, SCAD Corp. will enable Subic and Clark to synchronize efforts in developing a regional logistics hub that will result in the complementation and sharing of resources, infrastructure and facilities between the two zones thereby propelling economic growth in Central Luzon.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo envisions the Subic-Clark area as a regional economic center, in the mold of Hong Kong and Dubai.

In January 2003, the president approved the creation of the P31.25-billion SCAD Corp. upon the joint recommendation of the Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA), the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), Clark Development Corporation (CDC) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

SCAD Corp. will manage various infrastructure projects such as the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA), Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway, and the Subic Bay port.

In particular, DMIA is being eyed as the country’s next premier international gateway and Asian regional center for express freight operations, logistics and warehousing, and a major aircraft heavy maintenance base. Once completed by 2006, the DMIA expansion project can service up to 3.5 million passengers annually.

As the director general of SCAD Corp., Gregorio will coordinate with SBMA chairman and SCAD presidential adviser Francisco Licuanan III and CDC chair and former DTI Secretary Rizalino Navarro in the development of Subic and Clark.

Before he joined the government, Gregorio was among those considered by the president to be the next secretary of the Department of Tourism.

A veteran of 17 years in the tourism industry, Gregorio started as a junior sales executive at the Philippine Convention and Visitors Bureau (PCVC) at the age of 17. From there, he worked in various tourism establishments and worked his way to the top of one of the most prestigious hotel chains in Cebu and Davao.(EVA)

ewh1

June 5th, 2005, 12:35 AM

I was looking around the internet, and i finally found a Commerical for WOW philippines for Korea.

mms://vod.wowphilippines.or.kr/wowphil/wowphil_ad3.wmv

612bv3

June 5th, 2005, 05:04 AM

Great find, I hope it brings more tourist into the Philippines.

ewh1

June 5th, 2005, 07:18 AM

OMG i found the Official Biyahe Tayo Commericals With Regine Velasquez from the same site! the Official Ones

The New "Biyahe Tayo" with Regine Velasquez ones
mms://vod.wowphilippines.or.kr/wowphil/wowphil_ad2.wmv

The Old "More than the usual" with the 30 sec version and the 15 sec bumpers (In Korean Though)
mms://vod.wowphilippines.or.kr/wowphil/wowphil_ad1.wmv

wecky

June 6th, 2005, 03:54 AM

wow .. Philippines' gearing more and more in terms of tourism ... great move, indeed!

absent-minded

June 6th, 2005, 04:51 AM

sweeeeeeeet!!! nice find! thanks a whole lot ewh1!!

I'd been wanting to see the new commercials but I couldn't find them... awesome, awesome work! they're all so clean-cut and creative!! the long Korean one is also really nice! and it advertises everything from tourist attractions, schools, business, shopping, and golf too...

the Philippine DOT and the volunteers (JudeD was one of them!) really are doing an amazing job at promoting the country!! I read an article that says the country is now the second biggest SEA destination of Korean toursists next only to Thailand (which gets around 6,000 more toursits per month). without a doubt the Philippines will soon be on the world map for tourism... I hope things get even better!

amras

June 6th, 2005, 10:50 AM

i cant download it... :(

Mango

June 6th, 2005, 12:56 PM

Tourism dep't expects 1M
Japanese tourists by '08
By Clarissa S. Batino
Inquirer News Service

OSAKA, Japan--The Philippines aims to bring in about a million Japanese tourists to its premium resort islands by 2008 by waging a strong marketing campaign to revive the interest of Japanese travelers, according to Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano.

The tourism chief said that with the country's aggressive marketing efforts, tourist arrivals in the Philippines may hit 3 million this year as against 2.29 million in 2004.

Japan accounted for about 17 percent of last year's total arrivals. Except in 2004, tourism growth for several years now had been poor if not dismal.

"Last year's 18-percent growth in Japanese arrivals is the highest in 20 years," Durano told participants of a Philippine tourism and investment roadshow here. "But there is much room for improvement this year."

Durano heads a Philippine Business Conference in Japan's three major cities -- Osaka, Nagoya and Tokyo -- from June 1 to June 10.

The business conference, one of the largest missions of late, hopes to persuade Japan to make the Philippines a priority over other Asian destinations in terms of tourism and investments.

Durano said in Cebu alone, two opportunities were open for tourism investments.

Many similar projects are also available in the Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon provinces) area, Negros Occidental, Davao, among others, he added.

Domingo Siazon, the Philippines ambassador to Japan, said that tourism was becoming an important pillar of the country's economy.

Aside from the billions of dollars generated from receipts, jobs are being created, Siazon said.

"We hope Japan would explore joint ventures, especially in tourism areas," said Durano, a former lawmaker from Cebu. "Cebu is ripe for the picking for hotel and resort investments."

In particular, available projects in Cebu are the South reclamation project, to be partially-funded by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation, and the 50-hectare boardwalk in Mandaue City that is being developed by FF Cruz.

Cebu and Metro Manila are the major gateways being sold to Japanese tourists as the international airports in the two key cities handle direct flights to Japan.

Philippine Airlines said it has 31 flights a week from Manila and Cebu to five major points in Japan--Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka and Okinawa.

"We should see a million Japanese tourists by 2008, if not earlier," Durano told participants of a conference in Osaka last Friday. "This is achievable if we stay focused on our goal to sell the country using a strong brand image--that of a premium resort island."

To achieve his goal, Durano must increase the percentage of inbound Japanese travelers by more than 25 percent each year starting 2005.

As of the first quarter, however, growth from this market was only 7.8 percent against the 40-percent increase in South Korean visitors to the Philippines, and China's 105 percent.

Japan is the country's second largest source of tourists, next to the United States, and is becoming the country's biggest trading partner.

It is one of three major markets for Philippine tourism. China and South Korea are the other two.

Last year, a little over 382,000 Japanese visited the Philippines.

While this number was 18-percent higher compared to the previous year, it was less than 3 percent of the 16.8 million Japanese who went out of their country to travel.

This year, Japan projected outbound tourists at 17.4 million and at 20 million by 2008.

Durano said the Philippines would like to hit the 5-million tourist mark by 2010.

Selling the Philippines to Japanese travelers should not be difficult, according to Durano.

First, the Philippines is nearer to Japan, compared to neighboring tourism destinations.

Second, the Philippines has one of the best natural attractions.

Third, the Filipinos are warm and hospitable.

Manila and Cebu are simply gateways to other attractions in the Philippines such as Palawan, Boracay, Bohol, Davao and even Subic and Clark.

"We would just use Manila and Cebu as baits," he said. "Once there, we would try to get them to visit other places."

He said that major hotels and resorts in Manila, Cebu and other key tourist spots, are building up their capacities to accommodate more tourists.

Durano said the DOT had been closely working with the Department of National Defense and the Philippine Navy to implement Task Force Stingray, a program meant to secure coastal and island resort destinations.

The tourism agency is also implementing the "Security for Tourism Operation Program" or STOP, which enhances disaster coordination and preparedness, especially among tourism stakeholders.

RELATED SITE:
Department of Tourism

tyronne

June 6th, 2005, 05:44 PM

Skyblade

June 9th, 2005, 07:54 PM

Japanese tourist to be allowed to name Philippine island
(Kyodo) _ The Philippines will soon launch a tourism promotion campaign allowing a Japanese tourist to name a Philippine island, Philippine Secretary of Tourism Joseph Durano said in Tokyo Wednesday.

The person, to be selected from applicants, will receive a certificate from the mayor of the town that puts the island under its jurisdiction, Durano said in an interview with Kyodo News.

Details on the campaign will be released later, he said.

Durano said the Philippines will boost its spending on promoting the country to Japanese to $2 million, or some 210 million yen, for this year, a 10-fold increase from last year.

Although acts of terrorism occur in succession in the Philippines, there are only a handful of dangerous places in the country, which consists of about 7,100 islands, he said.

http://asia.news.yahoo.com/050608/kyodo/d8ajepso0.html

Excellent to hear a promotion funding boost. :D

Anyhow thanks for the links, ewh! I've been searching for the new Biyahe Tayo ad for quite a while. m))

_zner_

June 10th, 2005, 01:34 PM

come on!!!!! we can do better than that... why not promote more of our islands and the modern malls here...

maybe most of the people are flocking to thailand, malaysia, indonesia, etc because they have a very good culture and great beaches and at the same time it is safe and easy access to all the destination..

Mango

June 13th, 2005, 06:52 PM

Japanese travel groups commit to bring in 500,000 tourists
By Rocel C. Felix
The Philippine Star 06/14/2005

NAGOYA, Japan – Japanese travel associations are responding positively to the Department of Tourism’s (DOT) aggressive marketing campaign, committing to bring in at least 500,000 Japanese tourists this year to various choice destinations in the Philippines.

"We have successfully convinced the Japanese travel agents and organizations that the Philippines would be a good place to visit, especially with all the unique attractions that we have," said DOT Secretary Joseph Ace Durano, who led the Philippine Business Mission contingent that sought to boost Japanese arrivals to the Philippines during a roadshow in Osaka, Nagoya and Tokyo.

Durano and his team met with various Japanese travel and tourist-related organizations, including some of Japan’s biggest companies like Toyota Motors, to further drum up interest for the top tourists spots in the Philippines.

Durano noted that the commitment to bring in 500,000 Japanese tourists to the Philippines would be a considerable increase from last year’s arrivals that totaled 382,307. The aim is to further increase this to one million tourists by 2008 by improving arrivals by at least 25 percent until 2008.

As part of the DOT’s strategy, it is also wooing the corporate leisure market, targeting Japan’s largest companies.

Japan is one of the three priority markets of the DOT, aside from China and Korea, for attracting inbound visitors to the Philippines, as Japan is the country’s largest source of market for tourist arrivals next to the United States.

To capture a bigger share of the Japanese market, the DOT and its marketing arm, the Philippine Convention and Visitors Corp. (PCVC) led by its deputy executive director Rosvi C. Gaetos, are also implementing an integrated marketing plan that will not only focus on the traditionally male market, but will also tap the growing middle-aged female market, or those between 30 to 50 years old.

DOT also hired a Japanese public relations agency early this year to launch its "Premium Resort Islands" or "Koko Doko" which ensured wider exposure in Japanese print and television media.

The campaign locked in on Manila and Cebu as the gateway to similar resort cities such as Davao, Bohol and Palawan which are also rich in tourist attractions, and in Subic and Clark freeport zones.

As part of the marketing scheme, thousands of information materials were printed in Japanese, including a "Premium Philippines" website, also in Japanese language.

The DOT is also participating in the 2005 World Expo which is being hosted by Japan and has tied up with a major wholesaler in the Chubu area to launch two consumer promotions, the "Travel Holiday" promo and the "Win an Island" promo where lucky Japanese winners will have one island in One Hundred Islands in Alaminos, Pangasinan, named after them for a year.

kiretoce

June 21st, 2005, 04:45 PM

Davao promoted as prime sports destination in RP
Inquirer News Service June 20, 2005

DAVAO CITY - Tired of grooming back to life the city's image ravaged by the 2003 twin bombings at the Davao airport and Sasa port and the Valentine's day bombing early this year, local tourism players are trying out another way to attract foreign tourists.

In the country's recent tourism sales missions to three countries, they promoted the city as prime destination for sports, particularly diving, golf and, sometimes, shooting.

"It would be different if you promote Davao for sports tourism because people who love sports will continue to come, with or without security threats," said Baby Montemayor, chair of the Southern Philippines Tourism Council (SPTC).

Mission

Montemayor said she often caught herself trying to explain to prospective foreign visitors what happened to Pearl Farm or the Davao airport bombings. But now, she said, she had another way of answering questions.

She said Davao used to enjoy an influx of tourists from South Korea but foreign tourists are now hesitant to come. "The Korean market is almost totally wiped out," she said. This is why, she said, the Davao tourism industry is trying to patch the shattered image by participating in international tourism sales missions organized by the Department of Tourism to bring the "country's tourism products to where the market is."

Art Boncato, chair of the Davao Tourism Association (Data), said they just wanted to make their presence felt. "If we don't make an effort to be seen or heard, we'll be left behind," he said. The recent tourism missions were focused on Korea, Hong Kong and Japan.

Target

The DOT targets to draw in over one million Japanese tourists nationwide by 2008. At present, only about 450,000 Japanese are coming to the country each year. Less than 30,000 of them go to Davao, he said.

But Boncato said it would take them years to know if their efforts would pay off. "We'll start counting our gains years from now," he said.

"If the country will attract a million Japanese tourists, we will have to find out how many of them are coming to Davao," Boncato said.

Philippine Airlines has agreed to charter flights to Davao next year to bring in a planeload of golfers and divers and other sport lovers.

The Hong Kong flight will arrive in time for the 2006 Chinese New Year while tour operators from Korea will stage a familiarization tour in July and August.

bustero

June 22nd, 2005, 04:43 AM

I hope the MILF issue goes away so Mindanao in General and Davao in Particular can take off in terms of tourism. Our tourism industry can do so much if we can just tone down the negative publicity (which we ourselves create!)

sandrin

June 22nd, 2005, 05:03 AM

Tell that to Daily Inquirer that keeps on proliferating sensational, negative headlines like
a tabloid. I read almost all of the Philippine online newspapers everyday, I can attest that the Inquirer's topline reports have an alarming negative agenda.
Even my relatives and friends in Pinas do not read that newspaper.

bustero

June 22nd, 2005, 05:20 AM

Sa totoo lang mader!

Pero medyo old news na iyan:) hehe

I actually asked them about it once and their very candid response was "Buster, it's a business".

Mabuhay and Pilipinas at Press Freedom(Obviously they're not afraid of being shot by anyone!) (Yikes we might get moved to the Press Freedom thread)

...and that's why improving our image will increase tourism. wazapwazap.

normandb

June 22nd, 2005, 09:18 AM

IN LESS than two years, Metro Manilans will be able to enjoy interacting with dolphins, sea turtles and other marine life in an ocean park at the Boardwalk behind the Quirino Grandstand in the Manila Bay area.

The foreign-funded park costing about $20 million is similar to those found in Hong Kong and Singapore.

The Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA) yesterday signed a memorandum of agreement with the Chinese and Malaysian consortium China Oceanis Group Ltd. (COGL) for the building of the Manila Ocean Park.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was on hand to witness the signing between PTA Chairman Robert Dean Barbers and COGL's Lim Chee Yung.

Under the agreement, the COGL was given a 25-year lease to some parts of the PTA-owned Manila Boardwalk, and will shoulder the cost of building the facilities for the park which is expected to be open by December 2006.

Among the features of the park are open marine habitat facilities, dolphin feeding activities, a sea

turtle area, a cactus garden and even a swimming area. The COGL would also build a plaza for special events and areas for shops and restaurants. They will also develop the park located in front of the Boardwalk.

The consortium will also pay a yearly rent of P16.5 million, with an upward adjustment every five years.

Barbers hailed the project as a major coup for the country because it is expected not only to enhance local and foreign tourism and to generate jobs for some 2,000 Filipinos, but to pave the way for further infrastructure development.

COGL director Lim Chee Yung said the park would also be used to advance the cause of marine environment protection.

And since a swimming area and snorkeling activities would also be available at the park, the consortium would be cleaning the murky waters around the Manila Boardwalk.

Lili

June 22nd, 2005, 05:23 PM

bustero

June 23rd, 2005, 04:05 AM

(actually Buster is my internet pseudonym, I've used it constantly throughout eversince I took over my friends (guess what his name is) account (mostly porn) many years ago when the internet was relatively new)

Actually Sandrin one saving grace for me in the INQ7.net site is that it partners up with newsbreak which is a for me a credible newsweekly. They also feature a lot of PCIJ articles and have higher standards of journalism (both sides, less color). MO

and back to tourism.

CHINA SETS AN UNPRECEDENTED 100% INCREASE IN TOURIST ARRIVALS

Monday, June 06, 2005

An increase of over a 100 percent in tourist arrival was posted by China from January to April of 2005. This is deemed phenomenal as the number of visitors from the said country significantly escalated from
2004’s 12,913 to this year’s 26,487. China’s progress in tourist arrival statistics in the first four months of 2005 is almost ten times than its usual average and six times faster than any of Philippines’ other source
markets.

Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Joseph Ace Durano further emphasizes, “We believe the growth can continue as other on-going and upcoming campaigns will add greater results in the next six months and we hope that this positive outcome remains until we reach our target of five million foreign visitors in 2010.”

Having established this unmatched record, China has abruptly improved its ranking as one of the country’s top source of foreign travelers, joining the league of United States, Korea, and Japan.

All these are because of the enduring efforts of DOT in promoting inbound tourism from China especially through the six major fairs located at China’s key cities that serve as administrative centers where
people ask information, do business, and complete transactions. So far, DOT’s affiliation with some stakeholders for promotions in China have been an effective marketing strategy. These include new television commercials in Mandarin that are shown in popular drama series and top-rated news programs, particularly in weather report segments.

Likewise, screen captures of renowned tourist spots in the country are flashed onto the electronic billboards that are strategically positioned across China’s metropolitan areas, information-rich and well-browsed
internet placements, and print-ads published at their leading newspapers are also used as a means of promoting Philippine tourism. LCDs that exhibit the islands’ top tourist destinations can also be sited at
trains that cross the Beijing-Shanghai-Beijing route, which is considered to be the most active corridor among China’s transport system.

Marketing organization in China continue to do wonders for Philippine tourism. DOT has beefed up its Beijing office, which opened mid-July of 2004. Market representatives have been assigned in Shanghai and
currently, Guangzhou is in the process of finalizing its selection of marketing officers to further boost the office’s operation.

DOT has also been triumphant in customizing products to meet the needs of tourists. New product design principles have been introduced to new Philippine Inbound Tour Operations (PITOs). Latest packages are
being offered. Hotel front liners are also improving on their Chinese language capabilities through the on going training in order to be able to communicate to Chinese visitors even better.

Still specifically designed for Chinese visitors, the DOT has pushed for priority policy support. Matters as regards to Visa processing upon arrival, Mandarin speaking tour guide accreditation, Meet and Assist
program at airports and arrivals statistics processing have been continuously dealt with.

At present, new plans and marketing strategies are being designed to extend this feat and further advocate Philippines as an ideal tourist destination for Chinese travelers. New promotional activities that
have never been done before are being prepared for the second wave of campaign in China.

sandrin

June 23rd, 2005, 06:31 PM

I don't know what kind of business ethics the Philippine Daily Inquirer practice, or if they have ethics at all.

Biro mo lalo lang nila sinisira ang sira ng image ng Pinas para lang maging mabili ang mga dyaro nila. Anong klase ba naman yon. Kung kelan pa nagsisimula ang reporma at lahat gustong tumulong sa pag-reporma, sinimulan na naman sila. Yung mga headline nila masyadong bias at negatibo. Kapareho lang nila ng mentalidad ang mga oposisyon ng tunay na buwayang TALANGKA. Wala silang pakialam kung masira ang interest ng mga investor, basta lang makapaggulo sila......UBUSIN and Oposisyon.

mysaong03

June 23rd, 2005, 08:33 PM

^^ marami nang reclamo dyan, altho i dont intend to generalize, but many are branding their style of reporting too sensational, 'tabloid-type' so to speak...

but dont be too bothered by those crazy stories that u read. kalahati ng nababasa mo sa dyaryo hindi totoo :D

scouserdave

June 25th, 2005, 03:34 PM

Hi,
hoping to be in Manila Jan/Feb 2006. Do you know of any high rise buildings I can gain access to to take some panoramic shots. I'll be armed with my Olympus 8080 (wide angle) and Nikon 8800 (for zoom). I know my way around Metro Manila, so directions aren't necessary, just the names of the buildings. Salamat Po

BTW my Filipino sister in law and husband have just spent a few weeks with us in England whilst they attended the wedding of one of my other sister in laws (http://www.bedsbucksherts.org.uk/marriage). We put out all the stops to give them the holiday of their life. It was the least we can do for the generosity and kindness they always show us whenever we're in the Philippines. Gave them a guided tour around Liverpool, concentrating on the Beatles Quarter in Mathew St.

scouserdave

June 26th, 2005, 09:42 PM

Is it the norm on this forum to ignore polite requests for advice?
My local Liverpool forum is much more welcoming to newcomers.

amigo32

June 26th, 2005, 09:59 PM

I guess no Philippine forumers viewing this thread yet.
Wait...
Sorry, I can't really help you.

sandrin

June 26th, 2005, 10:39 PM

Hi there. Maybe you can go to a Penthouse or Roof top restaurant. After dining, you can ask permission to take pictures.

1. The Plaza Restaurants
Penthouse, East Tower, Philippine Stock Exchange Centre, Exchange Road, Ortigas Center, Pasig City. Tel nos: 687-0991/ 687-1262. Tel nos: 638-3210/ 635-6789 ext 3007

2. BORA Bar & Resto
815-9538 to 39, (0917) 835-9683
Rooftop DLA Bldg.
32nd St., Fort Bonifacio
Makati City

3. Grassi's Café (I don’t know if this is on Penthouse or Rooftop)
729-6740 to 41
Rockwell Center
Amapola cor. Estrella St.
Makati City

4. Cravings Restaurant
818-1818
31st Level, Fraser Place Serviced Residence
Valero St., Salcedo Village
Makati City

http://www.clickthecity.com/food/barlist.asp?pg=10

jbkayaker12

June 26th, 2005, 11:48 PM

Is it the norm on this forum to ignore polite requests for advice?
My local Liverpool forum is much more welcoming to newcomers.

No need to insult, you're asking a favor.

Here's one for you since you think we are not as welcoming.

Discovery Suites in Ortigas.

scouserdave

June 26th, 2005, 11:49 PM

Mango

June 27th, 2005, 12:35 AM

In the land of beauty
SO GOES By Jannelle So
The Philippine STAR 06/24/2005

LOS ANGELES – A vacation and a brand new nose for as little as $1,100?!

The buzzword in tourism is medical tourism and the Philippines is certainly joining the bandwagon.

Recently, a group of entrepreneurs, supported by the Department of Tourism held a press conference at the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles to launch a program called "Beauty Holidays."

In a nutshell, it is an invitation to visit the Philippines to combine vacation and beauty enhancements such as surgery and other aesthetic procedures.

"Well, actually I’ve been receiving a lot of inquiries from my clients who are based abroad, or outside the Philippines. And they’ve been inquiring about who the best doctors are and who the best plastic surgeons are in the Philippines. And so I thought of creating this special tour package for them," said travel agent Cris Aquino of Travel Pros Inc.

Aquino, fondly referred to in the Philippine entertainment industry as "Mr. Cris Aquino," in reference to host/actress Kris Aquino, has been in the travel industry long enough to spot a trend. And according to him, medical tourism has actually been around in other Asian countries for some time now.

Director Annie Cuevas of Philippine Tourism in Los Angeles confirmed Aquino’s observation. In her presentation, Cuevas stressed that Thailand, India, Malaysia and Singapore have already started servicing foreign patients in recent years; and so far, the business has been lucrative.

In 2002 alone, Thailand has serviced 600,000 foreign patients. The income generated from this is expected to hit $2.5 billion within the next three years. And if other Asian countries are offering these kinds of services to foreigners, there’s no reason why the Pearl of the Pacific could not compete.

In the same presentation made by Cuevas, she explained that the boom in the beauty and wellness industry in the Philippines is consistently rising, logging a 7.9 percent growth per year. In 1991, there was a 71 percent increase in the number of spa establishments and all of them are earning from an average of 1,299 spa visits per day or 35 spa visits per establishment. This business generates 1,069 jobs or an average of 29 jobs per spa facility.

Because of its potential, the Department of Tourism offices in both the Philippines and abroad are beefing up their marketing and promotional activities – publication of brochures; organizing foreign trade and media invitational; and subscription to spa and medical travel expos. Just recently, Philippine Medical Tourism participated in the Golf and Spa Travel Show in Long Beach, California.

The primary strength of Beauty Holidays is its cost. Compared to other countries where hotel accommodations alone would cost at least $200/ night, the low standard of living in Manila makes it possible for members of the consortium of travel agents, hotels, surgeons and aestheticians of Beauty Holidays to offer their services at a lower cost.

"I want to make it clear that just because we’re cheaper, it doesn’t mean we’re not as good. The reason we’re cheaper is because the cost of living in the Philippines is really much lower, the rents are lower; the nurses. I pay my nurses well. They earn about $400-$500 a month. And here you’d have to pay your nurses $4,000 a month. So everything gets factored in," explained Vicki Belo of the Belo Medical Group.

The famous "Doctor the Stars" earned her nickname from the various procedures she and her staff have done to numerous actors and actresses in the Philippine showbiz industry. She stressed however, that she’d rather be known as "your best friend in beauty."

In the same press conference, Belo explained that what people actually find beautiful comes from human instinct. Quoting a Harvard anthropologist, she said that for instance, while most men find women with big breasts attractive, their instincts also tell them that ample-breasted women can feed their babies well.

According to Belo, this is only one of the many things she has picked up from her years of practice in cosmetic surgery. Also in these years of experience, the doctor said she has arrived at the conclusion that the Philippines is one of the best destinations for plastic surgery.

"In fact, I think the Philippines is really much better for plastic surgery because Asian skin is really much difficult to deal with, compared to Caucasian skin. Caucasian skin heals a lot better. Because of that, we’re forced to be more careful, hiding the scars, making sure the cuts are more precise. When you have a scar in Filipino skin, it’s so obvious," she said.

Belo also mentioned that in terms of technological advancement, cosmetic science in the Philippines is also competitive, at least as far as the Belo Medical Group is concerned. As an example, she stressed that the Belo Medical Group has done about 2,500 Aptos thread procedures, whereas doctors in the United States have only done 200. The hydro-gel buttock life from Japan is also already being used in the Philippines; while it has not been approved in the US.

"Of course, they are protecting their own doctors and their own procedures," said Belo. "But we in the Philippines are only looking out for the best technology for our patients."

Salon owner Ricky Reyes, who’s also part of the consortium, agrees with Belo on the skills and talents of our Philippine surgeons.

"I can personally say that our surgeons are very good. You can see that from all the actresses we have in Manila. Halos wala nang totoo. Lahat na yata ay enhanced. Even the beauty queens are starting to enhance," he said.

But aside from the know-how of well-educated surgeons and cosmetic enhancement experts in the Philippines, there are also other Filipino traits that make the Philippines a haven for cosmetic procedures.

"Of course, our patient care is the best. In any of the hospitals you go to here in the States, most of the nurses are Filipino because we’re really known for our caring for patients. You’ll be spoiled. You’ll be pampered. And that’s the best thing to do when you’re recovering from cosmetic surgery," said Belo. "And, of course, our hands are a lot smaller and so we are able to do a lot of stitches. And I noticed that when you do a lot more stitches, the skin heals faster."

"At ang nakakatuwa nito, once you go to a Filipino doctor, he knows that you are Asian. Iba ‘yung elasticity ng balat ng Asian at Caucasian. Alam niya na kailangan ang ilong mo, hindi masyadong mataas, dapat ‘yung katamtaman lamang," added Reyes.

A standard package include three days, two nights deluxe accommodations in either Hotel Intercontinental Manila in Makati or Holiday Inn Galleria Manila in Ortigas; medical fees and charges for use of medical facilities and land transfers. Some of the procedures offered are eye lift, eye bag reduction, nose lift, breast augmentation, tummy tuck, face lift, hair transplants an liposuction. There are optional tours to the beaches and other famous tourist attractions available to patients for their recuperation and relaxation after the treatment.
"Ang Pilipinas, as a destination, marami talagang attractions. If they want, they can come here to relax and if they feel na they want a new look, they can go to Beauty Holidays and they come back with a new look," said Tourism Secretary Joseph "Ace" Durano.

scouserdave

June 27th, 2005, 02:06 AM

No need to insult, you're asking a favor.

Here's one for you since you think we are not as welcoming.

Discovery Suites in Ortigas.

No need to insult? When was I insulting? I'm well aware I was asking a favour. Please read my posts again.

Thank you for your advice. A pity it was given in response to my second post.

bustero

June 27th, 2005, 05:14 AM

you can get good vistas at any cityland condo. They're not very tight with security and you can easily get to the top floor.

also Both megamall and shangrila have good opportunities and angles.

I always thought one of the best views in makati is from the skyway between don bosco and buendia .

also you can pretend you're buing at the fort (whatever is the name of the rfm property there) and they'll take you up to the penthouse unit if you ask them. same with the other ones with model units like ridge and kensington.

bustero

June 27th, 2005, 05:19 AM

btw, you're probably better off posting in very active threads which posts a lot of pictures, you'll get the real photographers there like francis, dudz etc. Try the ortigas post as we've been talking about dudz shots lately.

scouserdave

June 27th, 2005, 09:17 AM

Thanks Bustero. Much appreciated :cheers:

jbkayaker12

June 27th, 2005, 09:23 AM

Is it the norm on this forum to ignore polite requests for advice?
My local Liverpool forum is much more welcoming to newcomers.

Don't just read make sure you understand what you just posted. Hehehe.

scouserdave

June 27th, 2005, 10:26 PM

Don't just read make sure you understand what you just posted. Hehehe.

Sorry. Something's missing in the translation. Apart from the "Hehehe", I haven't a clue what you are attempting to convey to me :wtf:

janchiz

June 27th, 2005, 10:58 PM

Is it the norm on this forum to ignore polite requests for advice?
My local Liverpool forum is much more welcoming to newcomers.

Hi. No. Most forumers here are generally very helpful. It just happened that most are very busy with other threads at the moment, especially with the recent crisis of leadership in the Philippines. If I can help you, it would be a pleasure, however, I do not know much about Metro Manila as I am from up north. The suggestions of Sandrin and others might help you though.

Don't be put off with slow response. I think you know very well that most Filipinos, if not all, are generally helpful. Enjoy your trip.

scouserdave

June 27th, 2005, 11:32 PM

Hi. No. Most forumers here are generally very helpful. It just happened that most are very busy with other threads at the moment, especially with the recent crisis of leadership in the Philippines. If I can help you, it would be a pleasure, however, I do not know much about Metro Manila as I am from up north. The suggestions of Sandrin and others might help you though.

Don't be put off with slow response. I think you know very well that most Filipinos, if not all, are generally helpful. Enjoy your trip.

Thanks Janchiz. I never considered the current political problems. I shouldn't have been so hasty with my second post and I apologise to the forum.

Skyblade

June 30th, 2005, 01:01 AM

I was looking around the internet, and i finally found a Commerical for WOW philippines for Korea.

mms://vod.wowphilippines.or.kr/wowphil/wowphil_ad3.wmv
Just to compliment Ewh's video post, they finally have the English version on Wowpinoy.net. I'm seriously excited to finally have the English vid...:D
http://www.wowpinoy.net/media_gallery.php

Thunderflip

June 30th, 2005, 02:56 AM

^They should show this on CNN or BBC.

Skyblade

June 30th, 2005, 05:12 PM

^They should show this on CNN or BBC.
Indeed. m)) Speaking of which, I still remember watching a tourism ad on the Philippines in CNN back in the mid-late 90s. If I recall, I think the theme was it being the "Shopping Capital of Asia" but I dunno, it's been a while. :nuts:

612bv3

July 1st, 2005, 01:18 AM

Have you guys ever talked about this place because this is the first time I've ever heard of it. http://www.pandan.com/

Pandan Island is a private island with a small resort on the West coast of Occidental Mindoro, Central Philippines. After the island was 'discovered' and the resort established in 1986 by a French adventurer, this tropical island retreat has been voted time and again as one of the top resorts in the Philippines, not in terms of luxury but for it's quality of life and it's personalized atmosphere.

Pandan Island is for people who like to spend time in tropical surroundings without cars and television. A place where you are woken up by the singing of colorful birds, where there is only a palm tree between you and the sea, where you still know your neighbors and where you may even meet a sea turtle before having your breakfast .

Jimbu

July 6th, 2005, 08:33 PM

Shangri-La Mactan opens $4M Chi Spa village

by Ehda M. Dago-oc
July 7, 2005

Shangri-La’s Mactan Island Resort has officially opened its US $4 million spa facility in Cebu—the largest spa facility in Asia called Chi Spa Village.

The opening of this facility in Cebu is seen to further put Cebu’s name in the international map, as the Spa destination is Asia, said Department of Tourism (DOT-7) regional director Patria Aurora Roa.

The over one-hectare Spa facility of Shangri-La is the first huge spa investment done by the company in all its worldwide operations, thus, its grand opening recently was attended by the President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Although operated by an international resort chain, Chi Village is highlighting the traditional Filipino massage called “hilot” to add a Cebuano or Filipino ingredient in the facility, said Shangri-La Mactan general manager Timothy Wright.

Located adjacent to the hotel property, the Chi Spa Village features extensive spa gardens and treatment pavilions; six luxurious villas measuring 135 square meters complete with private patios, sunken bathing tubs and relaxing lounges, and eight garden suites.

“We want to be at the best of the Asian region. The opening of this Spa Village is expected to boost Cebu’s attractiveness to international tourists,” he stressed.

According to the resort’s director for communication Neil Rumbaoa, the Chi Spa Village is not just a mere Spa facility, but it caters to Spa enthusiasts who really know what Spa is.

With the luxury of space is one of the defining characteristics of CHI, the Grand Spa Villa measures 200 square meters replete with an open air tea house and a treatment suite that can accommodate up to four people.

Incorporating CHI’s signature “spa-within-spa” concept, all the villas feature private bath, shower, steam and changing areas.

Currently, there are already few dozens of Spa facilities in Cebu. These are attracting foreign customers like the Japanese, Korean, Europeans, and also domestic patrons.

But, the Chi Spa Village of Shangri-La Mactan offers a more sophisticated Spa concept with equipment facilities and services are at par with the international standard.

Rumbaoa said if the Resort would utilize its worldwide marketing promotion for Chi Village facility through its international networks of Shangri-La resorts and hotels around the world, to attract large number of foreign tourists here.

This upscale and full-blown Spa facility Chi Spa Village in Shangri-La’s Mactan property is the second Chi spa to open since the brand was launched in 2004. The first Chi spa opened in Shangri-La Hotel, in Bangkok, in 2004.

However, Rumbaoa stressed that the Chi Spa in Shangri-La Mactan is the largest facility among the other nine Chi Spa’s located in different Shangri-La properties around the world.

Cebu Association of Travel Operators (CATO) president Alice Quiblatin said the Chi is another very important tourism asset in Cebu especially that the province is positioning to lure high-end or quality tourists.

bustero

July 7th, 2005, 04:25 AM

Have you guys ever talked about this place because this is the first time I've ever heard of it. http://www.pandan.com/

Looks new or newly publicised, daming ganyang magandang generic resort. It may have been focused on locals for a long time tapos ngayon lang siya nagtry for foreign market.

If it's in Mindoro malapit lang you can even drive to it from manila!

dancethingy

July 7th, 2005, 06:34 AM

i've heard of it. Ever since i arrived in the motherland i have been beach obsessed. WE R THE BEACH CAPITAL OF THE WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

pau_p1

July 7th, 2005, 06:48 AM

Looks new or newly publicised, daming ganyang magandang generic resort. It may have been focused on locals for a long time tapos ngayon lang siya nagtry for foreign market.

If it's in Mindoro malapit lang you can even drive to it from manila!

let me correct you..... you can drive to Batangas City Port from Manila, then ride on a ferry (RORO) to Mindoro..

noli

July 7th, 2005, 07:49 AM

I think Bustero is right. The ferry is capable of taking in the car. As a matter of fact, I think you can even drive straight to Mindanao using the Strong Republic Maritime Highway. They all use ferries that take in the cars.

bustero

July 7th, 2005, 10:31 AM

Yup, that's what I was referring to, my pickup has actually gone down to bicol then samar leyte, and on the way back trying to see if it was shorter , cebu, negros, Capiz, then up to Mindoro and back through batangas.

All in all if the road in samar (a six hour delay because of bad conditions) were fixed then it's a shorter route in time from leyte. But the central visayan route is a shorter drive and quite pleasant.

Mango

July 8th, 2005, 03:31 AM

Taken from manilabulletin
Visit S. Tagalog come-ons in Intramuros

By RACHEL C. BARAWID

The Southern Tagalog Region kicks off its "Great Outdoor Adventure" exhibit today at 5 p.m., with a spectacular showcase of beautiful natural attractions in the provinces of Mindoro Oriental, Mindoro Occidental, Marinduque, and Romblon, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon.

Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano and Region 4 director Louella Jurilla will lead distinguished guests Senator Bong Revilla, members of diplomatic corps, and officials from the local government units during the opening rites.

The exhibit runs until July 31 at the Philippines’ Bests! in Clamshell I, Intramuros, Manila. Anchored on the theme Eco-tourism and Beach Holidays, the show features a simulated beachfront complete with white sands and palm/coconut trees.

A wellness and spa salon set in a beach setting is the centerpiece structure of the regional showcase. This structure is linked by a boardwalk to five smaller structures built as cottages representing the tourism products of Region 4.

Visitors can buy delicacies, arts and crafts and avail of tourism products and services from the region. A lecture-series on eco-tourism and success stories in environment preservation will enhance the theme of protecting the environment.

Other activities include craft demonstrations, travel fair, onstage concerts, fashion shows, cultural event, and exciting outdoor activities.

The Southern Tagalog Region is home to the world-renowned Pansanjan Falls of Laguna, Apo Reef in Occidental Mindoro and Puerto Galera in Oriental Mindoro. It offers some of the country’s best natural treasures such as the Pamintinan Cave in Rizal, the mystical Mt. Banahaw in Quezon, Romblon’s Mt. Guting Guting, the marine sanctuary of Anilao, Batangas, Mt. Malindig, Marinduque, and the Tagaytay Picnic Grove.

sandrin

July 10th, 2005, 02:18 PM

In the future, dapat siguro ay hikayatin din ng Dept. of Tourism ang mga bansa na nagsasalita ng Espanol. Mas madaling hikayatin ang market na ito kung ang gagamiting lenguaje ng mga travel agencies at mga tour groups ay Espanol .
Sa Asya, mas malaki ang potential ng Pinas kasi madali lang talaga aralin ang Espanol, lalo na at madaming salita ang napasama sa linguaje natin.

Kahit ang mga kumpanya dito sa States, nagsisimula ng hikayatin ang malaking hispanic market.

sandrin

July 11th, 2005, 03:57 AM

Fil-Ams still go to RP despite crisis’
By Jose Katigbak STAR Washington Bureau
The Philippine Star 07/11/2005

WASHINGTON — Many Filipino Americans are coming to the Philippines despite the political crisis to get a chance to meet President Arroyo and to tour the country’s various attractions.

Confident that they would be safe here, 516 Filipino-American tourists are visiting the land of their birth next week.

"They have great confidence in terms of the manner in which the tour has been organized and there have been no questions brought to me with regards to safety .... they will have an enjoyable, interesting and safe trip," said Ambassador to Washington Albert del Rosario.

Filipino Americans from across the United States will start leaving for Metro Manila over the weekend in more than 10 different flights accompanied by senior Filipino diplomats.

The initiative, brainchild of the embassy in Washington and the 11 Philippine consulates general in the United States, aims at enhancing the image of the country as "a safe and exciting destination for travel."

The initiative was supported by a number of travel agencies which offered to fly the consuls general free of charge provided they were able to attract a required number of participants to the July 13-19 tour.

Among the consuls general included in the trip is Cecilia Rebong of New York, who has come under fire from various quarters in the Philippines for living in a $10,000-a-month, two-bedroom apartment at Trump Tower in Manhattan while her official residence is undergoing renovation.

Billed as the "1st Ambassadors/Consuls General tour of the Philippines," the exercise would hopefully be held on a regular basis and also involve Philippine embassies in other countries where there are significant numbers of Filipinos, Del Rosario told a press briefing on Friday.

Del Rosario is leaving ahead of time to personally greet the tour participants in Manila.

Cost of the tour package differs according to the point of origin and activities of the participants.

From Washington DC for instance, the cost of the basic July 13-15 package is $1,494 per person which includes roundtrip airfare, transfers between airport and hotel, two-night hotel accommodation and a tour of Manila.

In addition there are out-of-town tours from July 15-19 such as the Laguna Bay loop package costing $450 per person, the Boracay/Corregidor tour ($523 per person), the Palawan holiday tour ($542 per person) and the Cebu/Bohol tour ($680 per person).

The highlight of the visit to the Philippines will be a meeting with Mrs. Arroyo.

A trade and investment fair will also be held to allow participants to explore investment opportunities in the Philippines.

Mango

July 12th, 2005, 03:35 AM

taken from manilabulletin
DoT starts to reap fruits of its sales blitz in China
By JASER A. MARASIGAN

The Philippines has started to reap the fruits of a series of sales blitz by the Department of Tourism (DoT) in key cities of China, particularly in Shanghai and Beijing, as Chinese arrivals to the country have reached a historical high, with current monthly levels reaching three times the usual.

In February, Chinese arrivals were up to 6,070 or 115 percent increase compared to the same period last year. Total arrivals continued to grow after the Chinese New Year Golden Week period, hitting 8,379 and 9,272 in March and April, respectively. This year, DoT is aiming a 200 percent increase or 70,000 Chinese tourists as compared to last year’s total of 39,581.

During the recent 2nd Beijing International Tourism Expo (BITE) DoT Secretary Joseph Ace Durano revealed that they are targeting to lift the total Chinese arrivals to the country above 360,000 by 2010. He added that the DoT is determined to make the Philippines one of the preferred choices for Chinese leisure travelers in Southeast Asia, especially since they opened a tourism office in the Philippine Embassy in Beijing last year.

Durano said that "although we are one of the earliest countries to get ‘Approved Destination Status’ (ADS), the Philippines has yet to capture the fair share of China’s outbound market. By 2003, we had merely 0.2 percent of the market, and Chinese arrivals ranked below source markets like Hong Kong. So, the DoT began an effort to develop a China marketing strategy in order to change that."

In order to be able to serve better than any destination, the DoT is focusing on three market segments of mid- to upmarket Chinese travelers: the Foreign Invested Enterprises (FIE) single white collar workers; FIE families with children; and the incentive group/corporate leisure travelers. Together, these groups represent close to 1.7 million international outbound travelers, take an average of 1.2 trips per year and spend approximately $2.1 billion on travel.

According to a research conducted by the DoT, these groups are highly interested in traveling to the Philippines with 53 percent of FIE young individuals likely to travel to the Philippines in the nearterm.

"We want to show our target travelers that the Philippines is full of wonderful surprises to suit any itinerary and that there are many activities within the Philippines’ major destinations that the Chinese will enjoy such as Manila, Cebu, Boracay, Palawan, Vigan, Laoag, Subic, Clark, Bohol and Davao," Durano said.

Aside from the DoT’s direct-to-consumer campaign, such as advertising the Philippine destinations on TV, newspapers, magazines, internet, billboards and LCD on the trains between Beijing and Shanghai, they also hired market representatives to extend the DoT’s capability in servicing both Chinese trade and media and at the same time, started programs for Chinese outbound travel agencies and media to learn more about Philippine tourism products. Familiarization trips are being organized, e-mail updates, regular sales calls, country seminars and participation in fairs are also being done.

In addition, talks with the Chinese government regarding the allocation of more air routes to the Philippines are ongoing, encouraging both the Chinese and Philippine air carriers to add more flights and frequency from China directly to Manila and to various resort destinations around the country.

Visa application has also been made easier with the waived requirement for personal appearances for group tour visas, "visa-upon-arrival" policy, and lower visa application fees.

"We have also invited the most reliable Philippine tour operators to reach out to their Chinese counterparts and to begin customizing products and packages for the cosmopolitan Chinese tastes. Likewise, our 5-star and 4-star hotels and resorts, long accustomed to American, European, Japanese and Korean travelers are now aligning their services, their staffing, their communications, and culinary offerings towards the needs and tastes of the cosmopolitan Chinese," he said.

With all these efforts in place, this early, the DoT is already predicting that China is on its way to becoming the fourth largest inbound visitor country to the Philippines by year-end, after USA, Korea and Japan. Whereas, in 2004, China did not even make it to the top 10.

bustero

July 12th, 2005, 03:52 AM

This is good news but just to compare, thailand and malaysia were over 1 million several years ago. So the several hundred percent increase is nice but over a low base nga lang. But still better than nothing. Pretty soon we will have our fair share and will be overrun by the chinese tourists!

Mango

July 12th, 2005, 04:14 AM

Yeah, the big percentage increase can be deceiving :D.
115 percent increase he he he. But at least we're moving forward inch by inch...
The DoT campaign is showing some results.

amigo32

July 12th, 2005, 04:35 AM

In China
Travel Agent: Please visit the Philippines. lots of beautiful beaches there.
Chinese_1: Where the hell is the Philippines?
Chinese_2: I've heard it's a dangerous place!
Travel Agent: Heard 'bout Boracay?
Chinese_1: Yes, in Malaysia right? I want to go there.

Yun nasa Malaysia na yung Chinese traveller...

Mango

July 12th, 2005, 05:02 AM

^Ha? Totoo ba yan?

May friend ako dito na Hapon na dinidiscourage daw ng mga pinsan niya to visit Phil. kasi nga daw magulo, with all the news. But I told her na sa Mla lang yun. So she went yesterday and she must be enjoying the cool breeze in Mt. Province by now.

612bv3

July 13th, 2005, 04:59 AM

http://news.inq7.net/regions/index.php?index=1&story_id=42688

Palawan first to enforce beach monitoring system
First posted 00:03am (Mla time) July 08, 2005
By Jofelle P. Tesorio
Inquirer News Service

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY-Palawan has just become the first province in the country to adopt a beach monitoring system to avoid the destruction that has ravaged other top tourist attractions.

A multi-sector team will start monitoring the cleanliness of all beaches in the province following the launching of the Beach Ecology Watch program in Barangay Sta. Lourdes in Puerto Princesa City recently.

Eymi Abrio, media specialist of the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development Staff (PCSD), an environmental policy making body under the Office of the President, said the program shall set standards for all business establishments, including beach resorts and restaurants in the province, based on their impact on the environment.

She said that unless Palawan acts to protect its beaches now, the province "will be the next Cebu or Boracay."

The two are among the eight top tourist destinations in the Philippines, together with Palawan.

However, many beaches in Cebu and Boracay have suffered from destructive activities.

In previous years, the waters of Boracay have been contaminated with coliform, a bacteria that can cause various diseases, due to improper solid waste management. Despite the influx of tourists that brought economic progress to the area, the government did not take steps to protect the environment.

"We will not take the path they have taken," Abrio said, because "we don't want that to happen to Palawan."

In an orientation workshop recently, representatives from the business sector, local government units, non-government organizations, and tour operators agreed to implement the program in the municipalities.

Abrio said the beach eco-watch program has been launched in various parts of the world, but the Palawan project is the first in the Philippines.

A monitoring team shall conduct regular inspections and give citations for the best and worst establishments according to set criteria.

The award may be in the form of a flag or card, which can be a marketing tool for resorts, Abrio said.

Standards will be based on provisions in the Clean Air Act, Water Code, Solid Waste Management Act, and other environmental standards.

________________________________________________________________

GOOD JOB PALAWAN! :applause:

ThisFire

July 13th, 2005, 06:53 AM

MainDiish

July 13th, 2005, 06:56 AM

amigo32

July 13th, 2005, 08:06 AM

I guess they are focusing on the bigger market. I've read somewhere that they are also promoting in Russia.

bustero

July 13th, 2005, 10:21 AM

bustero

July 13th, 2005, 10:26 AM

This is good but also not great. Why are they focusing/targeting on one group almost exclusively? And one that has a bad background in human rights? What about Europeans? The Spanish? They'd all love to visit the country, especially since we have great roots with them. How about Australians, etc?

Because they represent the single largest market in tourism. By decades time they foresee this group to number a hundred million a year. For a country which has no budget to promote itself,you have to pick your battles.
Regardless of what your opinion is of the country many in the tourist industry see this as one of the biggest most important opportunities for them.

dancethingy

July 13th, 2005, 11:35 AM

I know this is late, but GOOD JOB PALAWAN.

They should implement the program nationwide. I went to Iba, Zambales last month and asked one of the resort caretakers, who cleans the beach? and he said "the beach is SELF CLEANING." I nearly shit in my pants laughing.

bustero

July 13th, 2005, 12:00 PM

I think he was referring to the retired olangapo bar girls,

otherwise they'll get sick...

thewreckoning88

July 14th, 2005, 02:19 PM

I CANT WAIT TO GET TO PHILIPPINES! ILL BE THERE BEFORE CHRISTMAS IM GONNA HAVE A BALL GOING TO SHOPPING MALLS AND CLUBS AND MOST OF ALL SEING ALL RELATIVES THERE. ALSO I LOVE THE ATMOSPHERE AND FEEL OF MANILA ITS SO ALIVE. I LOVE IT. MANY OF THE PEOPLE HERE IN SYDNEY ALSO ARE COMING BACK IN DECEMBER.

Skyblade

July 17th, 2005, 04:16 AM

Malaysia, Philippines Join Hands In Tourism

DAVAO CITY, July 14 Asia Pulse - Tourism stakeholders from Malaysia and the Philippines have joined hands in promoting both countries as the best tourism destinations in Asia.

Malaysian tourism officials and 15 of their tour operators were in the city Wednesday for a "Road Show" of their tourist destinations, showcasing the country's kaleidoscope of arts, culture and tradition.
ADVERTISEMENT

Similar Road Shows will also be conducted in Manila and Cebu within this month.

Department of Tourism (DOT) Davao regional director Sonia Garcia said Malaysia will also host the Philippines' Road Show next month.

She noted the initiative forms part of the effort to firm up the Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines-East Asian Growth Area as an economic and tourism hub.

"We are selling Philippines and Malaysia as one. This is a good opportunity that's why we should encourage our LGUs (local government units) to do missions like this," Garcia said.

She noted the DOT and Malaysian Tourism Board (MTB) are now packaging direct flights from Davao to Kota Kinabalu and vice versa with the Malaysia-based Air Asia, South Phoenix Airways and Malaysian Airlines.

Davao Tourism Association President Art Boncato said Mindanao could benefit much from the initiative, "our sports tourism destinations here are getting much interest from tourists all over Asia." In a press briefing here, MTB official Mirza Mohammad Taiyab said they are unperturbed about the present political crisis besetting the Philippines, and are very confident to promote tourism in the country.

"Tourism is not affected by your politics because it has already become a normal situation for our people, we are getting used to it," Taiyab said.

He pointed out that the growth of tourism depends on three factors: dispensable income, making people more industrialized; discretionary time, giving people more time for leisure; and accessibility to flights as it gives motivation for people to travel.

Malaysia is considered to have the most successful tourism campaign in the whole of Asia, having an average of 60 per cent growth in their annual tourist arrivals.

In 2004, Malaysia was able to generate over 15.7 million tourists from all over the world compared to the Philippines with only 2.4-million tourists last year.

Taiyab said the Malaysian government is allocating US$50 million annually for its tourism initiatives, excluding the funds provided by their partners.

He said with the present development, Malaysia intends to increase their tourist arrivals to 80 per cent this year.

With the collaborated efforts of Malaysian and Philippine tourism stakeholders, Taiyab expressed confidence that both countries could together be internationally competitive.

(PNA)

JudeD

July 19th, 2005, 07:42 AM

Philippine Tourism Forum tomorrow 11 am Kamayan restaurant, corner Pasay Road and Pasong Tamo, Makati. Confirmed attendees include Tourism Secretary Ace Durano and Senator Richard Gordon.

KulasKusgan

July 19th, 2005, 03:17 PM

Malaysia seeks more RP tourists
By Jenny Molbog-Mendoza

A TOP Malaysian official encouraged more Filipinos to visit Malaysia. Tourism Malaysia deputy director general Mirza Mohammad Taiyab, in a press conference yesterday at the Marco Polo Davao, said he is optimistic that tourists who are visiting Asia this year would reap a growth of 20 percent.

As of last year, Taiyab said, China received the most number of tourists, which was pegged at 20 million, while Malaysia placed second with 15.7 million visitors. Although the Philippines only got six million last year, he added, there is still a huge opportunity for it to make it to the top this year.

Among the indicators that could push Asian countries to record a 20-percent growth in terms of tourist arrivals are the increasing disposable income, discretionary time, and accessibility.

"As Asian countries grow, we become more industrialized, and as these countries become more industrialized, people would have higher disposable income to spend. And another indicator is accessibility, the number of flights that are flying in and out of a certain country," he said.

A total of 15 tour operators from Malaysia visited the city Wednesday in a bid to establish further tourism linkage with the tourism stakeholders here.

"We are promoting a healthy development of tourism here. We discuss about tour packages so that the local tour operators here will be able to get more tourists from Malaysia to visit your place," he said.

Last year, the number of Filipino visitors to Malaysia increased 59 percent to 143,799 from 90,430 in 2003.

The Malaysian delegation's eight-day visit to the Philippines kicked off Monday in Cebu.

Taiyab said a large number of Filipino visitors to Malaysia go there mainly for sightseeing, shopping and visiting relatives and friends.

He said Malaysians also visit the Philippines. But most of them visit Manila only.

Meanwhile, Department of Tourism 11 Regional Director Sonia Garcia said they are tapping the South Phoenix Airways and Air Asia to establish a direct flight from Kota Kinabalu (KK), Malaysia to Davao.

"South Phoenix right now has a direct flight from Sandakan to Zamboanga, while Air Asia has a direct flight from Kota Kinabalu to Clark, Pampanga. Hopefully, this plan works out. It would be an opportunity to have a direct flight from KK to Davao so that more tourists will visit us," she said.

Skyblade

July 20th, 2005, 04:39 AM

Growth In Philippine Tourist Arrivals Continues In May
Tuesday July 19, 04:20 PM Asia Pulse

MANILA, July 19 Asia Pulse - The Department of Tourism's (DoT) enduring efforts has once again paid off as statistics show an increase of 18.1 per cent at 215,929 tourist arrivals from 2004's 182,904 in May.

"The results are truly encouraging and these numbers are very motivating for us to continue and further intensify our campaigns for Philippine tourism," DoT Secretary Joseph Ace Durano said.
ADVERTISEMENT

Top priority markets such as the United States, Korea and Japan provided great results, as projected.

From last year's 43,097, the number of tourists from improved to 49,929 or 16.0 per cent growth rate. Korean tourists arrivals, on the other hand, got bigger by 27.8 per cent, registering 37,510 this year from 2004's 29,353 visitors.

Japan's statistics also grew to 2005's 30.467 as compared to its 27,984 during the same period last year, garnering an increase of 8.9 per cent.

Other countries that are included in the list of Philippines' top source of foreign travelers for May are Hong Kong, Taiwan, Australia, Canada, Singapore, United Kingdom, Germany and Malaysia.

Durano further explained, "Most of our marketing promotions are concentrated on these markets and the DoT has already laid out and continuously executed market-specific sub-campaigns to expand our operations in these areas." Keeping up with the success of the previous month, an increase of 15.3 per cent from last year's has already been established for mid-June.

This is based on the recent unofficial numbers from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport daily visitors, which actually comprises 85 per cent of the official targets.

Again, the United States, Korea and Japan topped the list of the Philippines' leading sources of foreign visitors, respectively, garnering 23.78 per cent, 15.68 per cent, and 15.64 per cent of the total percentage of tourists arrivals.

Moreover, China has been consistently recording exceptional upsurge after garnering a huge growth rate of 211.2 per cent for May 2005 and a whopping 433.05 per cent improvement for mid-June of this year from the same period last year.

"The DOT has already organized marketing plans for the rest of the year. We will continue to carry out these campaigns, and inject new and innovative approaches to make out our marketing strategies ever more effective," Durano said.

(PNA)
____________________________________________________

It may be not as great as our neighbors but keep it up, DoT! The efforts are showing! :D

Mango

July 25th, 2005, 04:33 PM

Taken from www.journal.com.ph
Monday, July 25, 2005
4:34:57 PM
Fashion tourism seen to attract more visitors

IN a bid to surpass last year's 2.2 million visitor arrivals, tourism officials and private groups have unveiled another project called "fashion tourism" which will showcase the country's rich cultural heritage.

The groups have launched the project in Davao City, which will be replicated in other key urban centers in Mindanao.

Participating in the joint undertaking are the Philippine Tourism Authority the National Association of Independent Travel Agencies and Philippine Airlines.

Sponsoring the Davao event are Ralph's Wines and Spirits of the Joseph family, Rep. Prospero Nograles of Davao and businessman Jaap Vandersluis in cooperation with ABS-CBN and other local media organizations.

Angel Ramos Bognot, NAITAS president, said they picked Davao City as venue for the launching of the project to perk up tourism in Mindanao, which has been affected by negative publicity in the past.

"Mindanao has many tourist potentials. This time we will start by showcasing its indigenous materials to be modeled by local models and designed by local designers," Bognot added.

As part of the undertaking, July was declared "Fashion Tourism Month" in Davao City. The fashion show, which will be held every Wednesday for free at The Venue, will serve as a run-up to the annual Kadayawan festival, a thanksgiving celebration for a good harvest.

Mango

July 26th, 2005, 12:00 PM

Seems RP is bullish on its campaign to attract Chinese tourists.
Look, we now have the "Visa-upon Arrival" promo!

Chinese visitors to RP up 150% in first 6 months

First posted 03:51am (Mla time) July 26, 2005
By Jerome Aning
Inquirer News Service

Get INQ7 breaking news on your Smart mobile phone in the Philippines. Send INQ7 BREAKING to 386.

CHINA has again proven to be the Philippines' fastest growing source of inbound tourists with a 146.3 percent increase in arrivals in the first half of this year.
According to the Department of Tourism statistics, there were 41,793 tourist arrivals from China between Jan. 1 to June 21 compared to 16,966 who arrived in the same period last year.

DOT Secretary Joseph Ace Durano said China had become one of the country's top sources of foreign travelers, ranking seventh after the United States, South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Australia.

"These results are indeed encouraging for us to further intensify our operation in China. Not only that, we are also very optimistic that we will be able to sustain this success with our current and future marketing campaigns," he said.

To keep the numbers up, DOT's China marketing team, headed by Assistant Secretary Eduardo Jarque Jr., has pushed for priority policy support here in the country.

The department's promotion efforts focus on a market of about 1.5 million Chinese found around Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, who work in multinational corporations and who are familiar with the Western lifestyle.

The target group is made up of young, single or married, English-speaking and city-based professionals who are incentive travelers - those sent abroad by private companies and the government as a reward for their performance.

One of the most effective programs was "Meet and Assist" which caters non-English-speaking tourists like the Chinese, Koreans and Japanese. It was recently launched by the DOT at international airports in Manila and Cebu.

Also designed for Chinese visitors was the innovative "Visa-Upon-Arrival" program made possible with the cooperation of the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Bureau of Immigration.

There were also training programs for Mandarin-speaking guides.

In addition to the DOT office in Beijing, a marketing representative based in Shanghai was appointed last July 15.

The DOT is targeting 70,000 Chinese tourists this year, a small fraction of the estimated 20 million Chinese annual outbound tourists, making China the world's largest travel market.

kiretoce

July 28th, 2005, 07:56 PM

Influx of foreign visitors in RP rises
By Albert B. Lacanlale Thursday, July 28, 2005

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- The Bureau of Immigration (BI) reported recently that despite the ongoing political crisis, the number of foreigners who arrived in the country grew by as much as 15 percent in the first six months of the year.

BI Commissioner Alipio Fernandez Jr. said that a total of 1,271,598 foreigners arrived from the month of January to June or 163,634 more than the 1,107,964 who came in the country during the same period last year.

Fernandez said the statistics were from a report submitted by his men in the different ports of entry, including the Diospdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) in Clark, where the BID maintains a presence to facilitate the processing of arriving and departing passengers.

He added that of the over 1.2 million aliens, 1.1 million or 94 percent of them entered the country via the premiere Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) while the rest came in through other ports like Mactan, Subic, Clark and Davao.

The immigration chief also said there were more "balikbayans" who came home during the first semester of the year than those who returned last year.

He said a total of 1,086,378 Filipinos arrived from the month of January to June, compared to the 1,073,371 "balikbayans" who came in the same period last year.

At the DMIA, the entry of low-cost flights has increased the number of passengers arriving at the vaunted Clark port. In April alone, at least 2,500 passengers have opted to use the Clark gateway due to budget packages offered by airlines like Air Asia Berhad and Tiger Airways.

There are four international airlines with regular flights at the DMIA. The South Korea's Asiana Airlines which flies five times a week, Malaysia's Air Asia Berhad which has twice daily flights to and from Kota Kinabalu and Kuala Lumpur, Singapore's Tiger Airways which has thrice weekly flights to the city-state, and Hong Kong's CR Airways also flies three times a week to the former Crown Colony.

Gary Mendoza, BI immigration regulations chief, said the statistics on alien arrival would have been higher had it not for the dual citizenship law that allows former Filipinos to reacquire their Philippine citizenship.

Mendoza said that former Filipinos who avail of the law are now admitted as Filipinos unlike before when they are categorized as aliens whenever they visit the country.

The BID records show that there were 1.3 million aliens who left the country in the first semester, compared to the 1.1 million who left in the same period. There were also 1.43 million Filipinos left the country during the same period compared to the 1.23 million who left in the same period of 2004.

Mango

July 29th, 2005, 08:27 PM

I am ecstatic about this news!!!
Realizing the importance of good infrastracture in promoting the tourism industry,
DoTC and DoT(PTA) is making this super HUGE development.

P30 billion allotted to upgrade airports and RO-RO vessels

The Department of Transportation and Communications (DoTC) will allot R30 billion to upgrade several airports nationwide to serve as gateways to major tourist destinations nationwide.

DoTC Secretary Leandro Mendoza said the upgrading of old airports and construction of new ones aims to spur domestic travel and encourage investments in the local region.

At least 15 regional airports this year will be upgraded to meet international standards by 2010.

Mendoza said that the upgrading works is in coordination with the Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA).

These includes the airports of Clark, Subic, Panglao in Bohol, Bagabag in Nueva Ecija, Busuanga and El Nido in Palawan, Caticlan in Aklan, Tacloban and San Fernando in La Union, among others.

DoTC is currently developing the Laoag International Airport, and three new airports in Zamboanga, Iloilo and Bacolod.

It also plans to construct another airport to serve the Cagayan de Oro-Iligan corridor.

Mendoza said the Panglao Airport in Iloilo will serve the projected demand in the area while the Bagabag Airport to major tourism sites in Northern Luzon.

The DoTC is continuously upgrading the Busuanga Airport to meet the increasing demand and the Caticlan Airport which is served by small aircraft operated by South East Asian Airlines (SeAir) and Asian Spirits to bring tourists to and from Boracay.

The El Nido Airport will be constructed to serve as links to the Northern Palawan tourist destinations and the Siargao Airport will also be improved.

To link economic centers and key growth areas, regional airports will be pursued.

Currently under the DoTC’s infrastructure portfolio are the new Iloilo Airport Development Project and the Selected Development Project, which includes construction of the new Bacolod Airport and the redevelopment of Tacloban Airport.

Mendoza said these projects are funded through loan assistance from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC).

The DoTC will also consider the implementation of the Laguindingan Airport Development Project which involve the construction of the new airport to serve the Cagayan de Oro-Iligan corridor.

Right now, the Poro Point Management Corporation (PPMC), a subsidiary of the Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) has earmarked R8 million for the upgrading of the San Fernando Airport in La Union.

"The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) will also infuse some funds to upgrade the San Fernando Airport," Mendoza said.

Mendoza also disclosed that the government will give priority to the coordination of port development plans to ensure integrated and efficient ports system, saying "Maritime linkages will be enhanced through the expansion of the nautical highway and the roll-on/roll-off (RO-RO) networks.

"The government will expand the coverage of the Strong Republic Nautical Highway (SRNH) through completion of vital links to western, eastern and central nautical highway.

The nautical highway system, which was introduced in 2003 to maximize the use of RO-RO system to transport produce from Mindanao, through the Visayas to Luzon, has reduced travel time by about 10 hours, resulting to a reduction in cost of about 40 percent for passengers and 30 percent for cargo. (Lynda B. Valencia/PNA)

richard fischer

July 31st, 2005, 09:45 AM

noli

July 31st, 2005, 01:26 PM

Bagabag is in Nueva Vizcaya not Nueva Ecija. It is the other entry point for the Rice Terraces.

Mango

August 1st, 2005, 12:30 AM

hi mango,
reeeallly great news for the philippines !! i have been reading these news for many times now all over the internet. you can find all these programms on the government's page : www.gov.ph
there you can use the links to transportation and to infrastructure. there are various other sites i have listed on my other computor downstairs (i now am workling on my notebook). if you are interested, just let me know. keep us posted if any further updates (and maybe images,renderings!) on airport developement occurs.
salamat,
philpal.

@richard, Thanks for that link. Actually, i used to join in their online forum (on current issues but I never tried to see the infrastracture site), until google led me to ssc.
I believe that the Phil. biggest potential is in tourism industry but it is not getting its fair share of tourists befitting such a beautiful country. We know some of the problems: bad publicity and lack of good infrastracture, roads, transportation facilities, airports..Although I don't have the technical know-how on these things, unlike most of you here in the forum, I always look forward to read news on infrastracture development.

amigo32

August 2nd, 2005, 05:41 PM

The Seoul Times (http://theseoultimes.com/ST/?url=/ST/db/read.php?idx=1993)

The Philippines is shifting to higher gear to sustain momentum in its bid to corner a sizeable chunk of Korean market. With the new slogan "More Than the Usual Warmth, Feel the Philippines," the country's ambitious marketing scheme seeks to position the Philippines as a top tourist destination for Korean tourists in Southeast Asia.

A 70-man top-caliber delegation representing the Philippines travel trade industry arrived in Seoul to take part in the 18th Korea Travel Fair (KOTFA) which kicked off at Korea Exhibition Center (COEX) on June 1 for a 5-day run up to June 5.

Headed by Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Joseph Durano, the delegation is composed of various travel representatives— from tourism stakeholders to mass media practitioners, government tourism bodies, travel agencies, resort owners and hoteliers, airlines, cultural dance and performance troupes, and participating government agencies and local government units.

Complete story here (http://theseoultimes.com/ST/?url=/ST/db/read.php?idx=1993)

Skyblade

August 3rd, 2005, 04:05 AM

CHINA ENORMOUSLY IMPROVES BY 211.2% IN TOURIST ARRIVALS FOR MAY

Monday, July 25, 2005

Yet again, People’s Republic of China sets an unprecedented record for the month of May as its registered number of visitors significantly escalated by 211.2%, or an increase to 9,806 warm bodies for 2005 from last year’s 3,151, based from the Department of Tourism (DOT) Statistics Division.

Furthermore, as early as mid-June, an exceptional upsurge of 482.56% has already been established by this tourism market, after gaining 4,276
tourists, a very huge step up from 2004’s 734. This is obtained from the
recent unofficial account from the NAIA daily visitor arrivals, which
actually comprises 85% of the official figures.

Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano said, “These results are indeed
encouraging for us to further intensify our operation in China. Not only
that, we are also very optimistic that we will be able to sustain this
success with our current and future marketing campaigns.”

Because China has shown noteworthy improvement over the past months, it has now become one of the country’s topmost sources of foreign travelers, joining the league of United States, Korea, and Japan. In fact, China has constantly rallied behind these countries, as far as number of visitors and growth rate are concerned.

In order to maintain this peat, the China marketing team of DOT headed by Tourism Assistant Secretary Eduardo Jarque, Jr. and members Director Rolando Cañizal, Rene Reyes, Mila Say, and Gigi Liwanag has pushed for priority policy support here in the country. The Meet and Assist program, which caters to non-English-speaking guests like the Chinese, Koreans and Japanese, is being instigated now at international airports in both Manila and Cebu. Still particularly designed for Chinese visitors, the innovative Visa-Upon-Arrival program has been operational through the cooperation of Department of Foreign Affairs and the Bureau of Immigration and helps tourists in processing their visa. Moreover, there are ongoing trainings for Mandarin-speaking guides to address possible language barrier problems.

In addition to the DOT office in Beijing, a marketing representative based in Shanghai was appointed last July 15.

The Philippines has also attended different travel fairs and consumer
events. Last March, Secretary Durano and other Tourism officials went to the Ghuangzou International Travel Fair where the DOT China Strategy, new logo, and TV commercial campaign were launched. In addition, last month, a delegation was sent to the Beijing International Tourism Expo. Representatives from the Department also organized the Food Festival in connection with the 30th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations between Philippines and China, Philippine Tourism booth at SM Shopping Mall in Xiamen, and Beer Festival in Baoding in the province of Hebei.

Likewise, sales seminars and workshops for Chinese tour operators were conducted by DOT-Beijing Tourism Attaché in order to present and promote Philippines as a top tourist destination.

Advertisements have done wonders, too. Numerous billboards and light boxes showcasing attractive scenic spots of our islands were mounted in major areas of Shanghai and Beijing. TV commercials were also placed in local channels to capture a bigger audience. Ads likewise appeared on daily Chinese newspapers and on the internet. The Philippine tourism website in Mandarin language www.wowphilippines.com.cn has been linked to the top search engines in China like Google, Baidu, Sina, Ctrip and Net Ease. LCD that exhibit the top tourist destinations were sited at elevators of a major building with multinational offices, and at trains that ply the Beijing-Shanghai-Beijing route, which is considered to be the most active corridor among China’s transport system.

“Aside from these projects that are now being implemented, the DOT is still drawing up more plans to make our campaigns more effective. And we are very positive that we will continue to accomplish our targets for the rest of the year,” ended Secretary Durano.

bustero

August 3rd, 2005, 05:52 AM

This is not a fad but a trend. It was a matter of time before they came here, not neccesarily out of our great marketing mind you , but because they would have no where else to go! All the other Big ASEAN countries are receiving over 1 million tourist already, after a while they'll look to somewhere else to vacation and party , same as us when we look at places to visit for fun. It's not only going to be hk for us year in year out, after a while some of us will visit, saigon, or Kota Kinabalu etc, same with them except - ANG DAMI NILA!

This is not a great opportunity for us to acquire, this is a great opportunity for us NOT TO LOSE:)

Mabuhay ang Pilipinas

stephencua

August 3rd, 2005, 07:19 AM

taken from www.inq7.net.. looks like the philippines is starting to make a dent in the tourist map.. although we do have a looooong way to go to catch up with our neighbors.. :)

First-half tourist arrivals up 12.7% to 1.28M
Posted: 10:41 AM | Aug. 03, 2005

THE NUMBER of visitors to the Philippines rose 12.7 percent from a year earlier to 1.28 million in the first half of this year, data from the Department of Tourism showed.

Arrivals in June grew 16.8 percent to 217,250.

Americans accounted for 22.1 percent of all visitors from January to June, their numbers growing 12.3 percent from a year earlier to 283,597.

They were followed by South Koreans totalling 224,981, up 25.6 percent from a year ago, and Japanese, up 9.1 percent to 200,939.

Visitors from China posted the fastest annual growth of 138.9 percent to 45,789, putting them on seventh place from 11th place a year ago.

Mango

August 4th, 2005, 03:46 AM

Wow! Loads of good news lately. keep them coming.

Seems like we're growing "leaps and bounds" with those percentages ha! :D

KulasKusgan

August 4th, 2005, 12:47 PM

Thursday August 4, 3:22 PM
Philippines' Davao City to Host Asean Tourism Forum

DAVAO CITY, Aug 4 Asia Pulse - This city will host the "2007 Association of South-East Asian Nation (ASEAN) Tourism Forum (ATF)," the largest travel trade event in Asia.

Davao Tourism Association President Art Boncato revealed this after they won the bid among 10 ASEAN countries that signified interest to hold the event.

"It's a great honor for Davao to be the host and we will make sure that everything is properly handled and leave no stones unturned to make the ATF successful," said Boncato, also vice chairman of the ATF host committee.

As host, he said, they will not only be dealing about Davao but the Philippines as a whole. "Our benchmark is the Cebu hosting in the '90s which was handled well." Boncato said the ATF is a major event that will gather buyers and sellers from over 55 countries.

"We are expecting 600 exhibitors where destinations from all over Southeast Asia will be showcased. This is an opportunity for the Philippines' destinations to be showcased in the travel expo," he said.

Boncato revealed that with the developments in the ASEAN, the holding of the ATF could be moved in early 2006.

The city, he said, is already prepared for the big event, having planned the activities since last year with an expected 3,000 participants.

Initially, an ocular inspection was done with regards to the venue, accommodations and transportation.

"About 1,000 rooms are required and we have enough rooms because the city has some 2,180 rooms available," Boncato said.

This developed as Department of Tourism Undersecretary Oscar Palabyab will arrive here Thursday to update industry players on the guidelines for the upcoming event.

(PNA)

Jimbu

August 5th, 2005, 01:19 PM

It's a great honor indeed for Davao City to be the host of such a very big event the "2007 Association of South-East Asian Nation (ASEAN) Tourism Forum (ATF)," the largest travel trade event in Asia.
Go Davao Wish you success! :runaway:

Mers

August 5th, 2005, 08:49 PM

It would be a great opportunity to boost Davao's Tourism.

kiretoce

August 8th, 2005, 07:34 PM

Philippines pushing to become a favorite Korean vacation spot

The Philippines is trying to sell itself to Koreans as the ideal destination for a vacation, less than four hours away, modern resorts including a number with Korean food, catering just to Koreans, beaches, suba diving and golf. And, officials say, it's safe.

"We provide information about destinations: where to go, what to see and where to stay," said Min-hye Kim, marketing manager for the Philippine Tourism Office in Itaewon "We promote destinations not yet familiar with Koreans. So when we discover new places we help to promote them and help Koreans discover those places.

"We also do promotions with travel agents to encourage them to do tour packages for Koreans. Normally Koreans don't have a problem with language barriers because Filipinos speak English," Kim said in an interview with The Korea Herald.

For the older generation who do not speak English the tourism office recommends tour packages or resorts catering to Koreans. Many of the resorts have services in Korean, as well as Korean menus and/or Korean translators.

"August travel is very important for Koreans and they like to go abroad and enjoy their holidays in the Philippines. I think the Philippines is the most competitive destination for Koreans because it's close to Korea which is only 3 hours and 30 minutes.

"Plus we have direct flights to Manila, Cebu, and many other destinations so it's easy for Koreans to get into the Philippines," said Kim. "We provide them a tropical mood and weather.

Kim adds that there are more than 3,000 islands and they all offer different moods and different types of travel like golf, scuba diving, beach fun, historical excursions and cultural discoveries.

"Right now Cebu is popular as a honeymoon destination, Koreans believe that after they get married they need to go for four days to a week and Cebu is a good place for that because they have a lot of nice modern style resorts and they can enjoy the beach and enjoy the food," said Kim.

For families that are looking for some fun in the sun, Kim suggests they visit the tourism office so she can map out an appropriate vacation plan, depending on likes and dislikes.

"They just need to follow that package," said Kim. "In resorts they don't need to worry about communicating their needs because they get everything they need there."

Recently, the Philippines Tourism Office updated its Web site. It now offers information about all different destinations and the different tour programs. It's possible to check by subjects such as scuba, golf, honeymoon, or study, she said.

"For the English as a second language study program, we provide information on how to get a visa from the embassy. Normally Koreans don't need visas to get into the Philippines for 21 days but if they want to stay longer we can help.

"We provide basic information for students on how to get visas and also how to chose accommodations and we even provide information about some of the English learning schools there so they can chose and contact the schools themselves for more information," said Kim.

Visitors to the Philippines have their choice of airlines - Korean Air, Asiana, and Philippine Airlines - offering daily flights from Incheon to different destinations in the Philippines. Asiana and Korean Air have also started direct flights from Incheon to Cebu

Regarding safety, Kim assures that the Philippines is safe. "Some Koreans are worried about safety so we explain to them that everyone can be in danger when they go abroad even in the USA. So we have to explain to them that it is safe.

"Koreans are used to demonstrations and also Korea is one of the most dangerous places to live because of the fear from the North so Koreans are brave enough to go abroad. Koreans are very adventurous."

The Philippine Tourism Office is located in the Philippine embassy on the corner of Itaewon and Banpo Street but will be moving in the next couple of months to a new office at the President Hotel, downtown Seoul.

For more information contact the Philippines Tourism Office at 796-7387/7388/7389 or click on www.wowphilippines.or.kr

richard fischer

August 8th, 2005, 09:25 PM

hi kiretoce,
great news about korean tourism in the phil. very nice photos on the korean website of wowphil. how come there are not so nice photos on the original english wowphil website ? anymore recomendations for nice images on the beauty of this marvelous country anyone ???
philpal

sandrn

August 10th, 2005, 03:01 AM

Negros Oriental invests P180M in tourism
By Romy G. Amarado

Editor's Note: Published on Page A16 of the August 10, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

DUMAGUETE CITY—The Negros Oriental provincial government is taking the lead in investing in the province’s tourism sector with its decision to construct a hotel and restaurant complex worth an estimated P50 million.

The project will complement the estimated P130-million convention center that the provincial government started to build last May.

Gov. George P. Arnaiz said the two projects, totaling at least P180 million, will be financed by a P100-million loan from the Development Bank of the Philippines. The rest will be shouldered by the local government of Negros Oriental.

Arnaiz said the original plan of the provincial government did not include the hotel, but they later realized the need for such a facility with the growing number of tourists visiting the province.

“Even today, which is supposed to be a lean month, our hotels here are fully booked,” Arnaiz said.

The governor added that once the convention center is operating, the need for hotel accommodation will become a concern and “we thought that the province will provide what the private sector cannot provide in order to take advantage of the opportunity.”

The governor also believed that at this time of economic crisis, the government should spend in order to stimulate economic activity.

The project, he added, is also meant to encourage the private sector to invest in the local tourism industry.

Arnaiz said with a modern convention center, Dumaguete and the province would become more attractive to visitors.

Lili

August 10th, 2005, 04:23 PM

That's great news for Negros!

dancethingy

August 10th, 2005, 06:51 PM

P10-B Filipino culture-inspired resort complex in Tagaytay launched

By ELY DINEROS

TAGAYTAY CITY – President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo led the groundbreaking and capsule-laying ceremonies for the first 100 percent Filipino culture-inspired vacation resort worth R10 billion.

Named Filipiniana Tagaytay, the vacation resort complex designed to please both domestic and foreign tourists, is a 20-hectare estate ideally located along the Tagaytay National Highway.

Featuring distinctly unique Filipino concepts and motifs, Oriental Mindoro Rep. Rodolfo G. Valencia, TOYM awardee in real estate development, and Ambassador Antonio L. Cabangon Chua, a noted business leader, said the project is certain to encourage tourists, retirees, travelers and investors to visit the Philippines. Its all-Filipino building design integrates modern amenities including hotels, condotels, eco-parks, convention center, and theaters, according to Valencia and Cabangon Chua.

Conceived as its ultimate tourism lure, however, will be its timely rendition of various Philippine festivities such as the Ati-atihan of Kalibo, Aklan; Moriones of Marinduque; Sinulog of Cebu; MassKara of Negros; and the Panagbenga Flower Festival of Baguio; among others.

The project bask in the cool climate of Tagaytay further boosts its surrounding landscape. It affords visitors a commanding view of the area’s green mountain ridge, the picturesque Taal Lake on which seemingly floats the majestic Taal Volcano.

Amb. Cabangan Chua, president of the Filipiniana Tagaytay Properties Inc., the project developer, said the total project cost will reach R10 billion, including the R2-billion that will go to land development alone. Fifty percent of the total cost, he added, will be funded by a Singaporean partner, and City State Holding Pte. Ltd., headed by Leow Siak Fah.

The project, Amb. Cabangon Chua said, is in support of the country’s tourism program.

amigo32

August 12th, 2005, 01:39 AM

Manila Bulletin (http://www.mb.com.ph/TOUR2005081241650.html)

Mt. Pinatubo wellness mecca boosts Korean influx
By ARLENE DABU-FOZ

The Philippines is coming up as one of Asia’s leading spa destinations that soon might give Western health resorts a run for their money. With key elements in place – world-class facilities with excellent service as well as accessible exotic attractions, the country has just tapped another money-spinner attracting the wellness and fitness market.

Proof is the recently launched Mt. Pinatubo Spa Resort in Bgy. Sta. Juliana, Capas, Tarlac. As the first wellness and fitness hub in the region, the spa resort is serenely tucked in a sprawling 5,000 sq.m. domain and perfectly spruced up Zen-style to the tune of US$400,000.

The gold mine of an investment is a joint commission between the Department of Tourism (DoT) Region III and the Korean Pull Destination Corporation (PDC) which handpicked the location as the most ideal place for the venture.

Tourism Secretary Joseph "Ace" Durano was the special guest during the launch. Other Manila-based guests included Maricon Ebron of the Philippine Convention and Visitors Corporation (PCVC) who also heads the DoT/PCVC Team Korea, Director Shahlimar H. Tamano of the DoT-Manila, Consul Jeung Kang and other Korean embassy officials, Marciano C. Ragaza, president of the Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA), Chiqui C. Teotico, VP-inbound of PTAA, Paul Lim So, president and general manager of Action Holidays Tour Corp., and a group of media representatives.

On hand to welcome Secretary Durano and other guests were PDC chairman Patton Kim, PDC president Chris Park and resort manager Pitt Won. Also present were DoT Region III director Ronaldo Tiotuico, Capas Mayor Reynaldo Catacutan and representatives of different government agencies.

Very well planned and carried out by the PDC group, the Mt. Pinatubo Spa is the latest to join the list of the country’s thriving top-of-the-line health resorts list that include Mandala Spa in Boracay, Nurture Tropical Spa & Cafe in Tagaytay, Chi Spa at the Shangri-La in Cebu, and San Benito Spa in Batangas.

Dubbed as "oasis in the desert," the Mt. Pinatubo Spa is about a two-hour drive from Manila and sits next to the tourism information center founded by the DOT Region III under Director Tiotuico. The center is a jump-off point to trekking to the dormant Mt. Pinatubo, the highlight of many eco-tourism activities geared to continuously attract visitors from all over.

Among the spa offerings are Korean/Japanese style sulfur water hot bath, volcanic ash shower, Chinese-style massage, hot springs outings and optional trekking. With a program designed to squeeze in a whole-day wellness treatment, the package per head includes meals and a 4x4 wheeler ride from the spa to the mini hot springs near the foot of Mt. Pinatubo.

Conceptualized by Kim and Park, who own Hana Tours and Number One Tours and Travel respectively, the spa resort started out as an alternative destination for Koreans who have frequented other local destinations like Banaue, Tagaytay, Baguio and Laguna.

This time, the Koreans – currently the country’s top source of inbound guests – are set to explore the best Central Luzon spots by way of Clarkfield and Subic. High on the itinerary, of course, is a day trip to the Mt. Pinatubo Spa, which proved to be a very engaging experience and a clear-cut hit since it hauled in from Korea some 10,000 and 12,000 arrivals in June and July respectively.

Local tourists will find the wellness experience at the Mt. Pinatubo Spa absolutely worthwhile. With a reasonably priced package of US$45.00 (R2,475), a guest will be treated to a wholistic approach to fitness and wellness with the invigorating Chinese massage that will work on all crucial body points to improve blood flow and pep up overworked muscles.

The volcanic shower is a great way to get rid of body toxins and lose weight if done on a regular basis. Some 20 minutes under the hot sulfur-baked sand can be very relaxing you wouldn’t notice you have already snored your way throughout. "Makes you feel light and agile" are the usual comments of those who tried it.

A notion that started in Korea and Japan is the half-hour hot bath in a communal waist-deep tub filled with sulfuric water. The detoxifying regimen eases joint pains and soothe frayed nerves.

The spa resort has modern facilities such as an open air coffee shop that serves healthy Korean and native dishes, a boutique that carries a wide-range of wellness products such as sulfur soap, mud pack, scrubs, lotions, bath gels, mineral oils and bath salts, aromatheraphy items, native accessories and outing/trekking outfits.

Aside from the half-day stint at the spa, a six-hour optional trek to Mt. Pinatubo will form part of the whole-day package. Should guests forego the punishing adventure, a side trip to Tambo Lake or a less-than-an-hour brisk dip at the mini hot springs near Mt. Pinatubo will be just as great.

At the brunch press conference, Durano lauded the PDC’s endeavor that excellently sustains DOT’s momentum to gain the tourist influx from Korea. Since he took over as the department chief, Durano has been focusing on the four key markets that he will vigorously work on initially – Korea, Japan, China and Balikbayans.

Citing the power of tourism, Durano said, the national government’s thrust to build up the local tourism industry as one of its priorities only showed it as a positive image-builder and a very good job supplier – the needed boosters to prop up the economy.

Interestingly, the budding health and fitness mecca is also an offshoot of DoT Region III’s eco-tourism effort under Director Tiotuico. His tough drive to reinforce regional tourism started right after the vexing Mt. Pinatubo eruption, a global issue several years ago.

Tiotuico saw the potential of the post Mt. Pinatubo blast as an ideal sales pitch to set up a sustainable eco-tourism program — Mt. Pinatubo summer trekking and anniversary camping-cum-party by the crater every last week of November. Both events made news and pulled off curiosity from all over the world.

Today, the same eco-tourism project became the very backdrop and selling point of the PDC spa resort. It helped that earlier, while backing up the project, Tiotuico was quick enough to draw a deal with his Korean counterpart to trigger the RP-Korea traffic.

To sum it up, Kim said, the Mt. Pinatubo Spa Resort is likely the PDC’s tribute to Filipino resiliency and the soon-to-be-fully tapped tourism opportunities within the region, particularly Tarlac.

Should plans push through, Won said, PDC is bent on beefing up the resort by building cottages within the property so guests will be enticed to stay longer and try out various activities. The group also plans to enhance the accessibility from the spa to Mt. Pinatubo by putting up cable cars to shuttle guests in lieu of the more rugged land trip.

Mango

August 12th, 2005, 01:58 AM

Wow really good news. Tourism is spreading out in places other than Cebu and Boracay.
Hope the development pans out to nearby towns affected by lahar.
I wanna try the "volcanic shower"! Ha ha!

bustero

August 12th, 2005, 08:21 AM

Ihope malift na ang travel ban to mindanao so Davao , et al can take off too!

xDieselJockx

August 12th, 2005, 11:13 AM

Too bad, the recent twin bombings will again scare off tourist in the mindanao region ..

xDieselJockx

August 12th, 2005, 11:15 AM

I'm sorry I was meaning to say "the recent Zambuanga" twin bombings will scare off prospective tourist to the mindanao region...

_zner_

August 12th, 2005, 01:10 PM

i think they need to promote philippines in CNN like what thai and malayasians are doing...

recently, ive seen some documentaries in CNN about the street kids in the philippines and it is roughly 1.2million.. there are over 50,000 kids are in jail.... and most of the street kids use rugbies... well hows that..?? :(

richpol

August 13th, 2005, 02:50 PM

from wowphilippines.com.ph
RP SUSTAINS MOMENTUM AS TOURIST ARRIVALS FOR JUNE ASCEND

Thursday, August 04, 2005

Philippine tourism continuously rides its wave to success as records for June showed an increase of 16.8% in visitor arrivals, from 2004’s 186,044 to this year’s 217,250, according to the Department of Tourism (DOT) Statistics Division.

Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano stated, “The results prove that the promotions the DOT has been carrying out are truly paying off and this gives the Department a boost to continue and enhance the existing projects.”

As anticipated, United States, Korea, and Japan’s figures all escalated. From last year’s 44,853, the United States’ tourist numbers improved to 49,559 or 10.5% growth rate. Korean guest arrivals, meanwhile, got better by a remarkable 45.3%, reaching 39,800 this year from 2004’s 27,389 visitors. Japan’s statistics also grew to 31,852 as compared to its 27,711 of the same period last year, garnering an increase of 14.9%.

Moreover, coherent with the previous months, China again recorded an astonishing growth of 205.8%, augmenting its 3,105 travelers last year to 2005’s 9,496.

Other countries that provided considerable uplift for Philippine tourism are Hong Kong, Taiwan, Australia, Canada, Singapore, United Kingdom, Germany, and Malaysia.

“The results of this year’s first half have been very rousing for all of us. Our market-specific sub-campaigns that we are about to launch in the next months are all geared towards the advancement of DOT’s operations. Once implemented, we are assured that these statistics will be maintained or even heightened,” ended Secretary Durano.

richard fischer

August 16th, 2005, 08:36 AM

great news for the philippines ! hopefully T 3 will really open by years' end as planned to give upon arrival immedeately a better impression of the beauty of the country.
philpal

Skyblade

August 16th, 2005, 09:12 AM

i think they need to promote philippines in CNN like what thai and malayasians are doing...

Aw man I'd love to see the day where I'd see a Philippine tourism ad in CNN again... I somewhat recall seeing a Philippine tourism commercial in the mid-90s aired in CNN with the "Asia's new shopping capital." theme or something along those lines. I dunno if it was my imagination because it was soo long ago... :bash:

dancethingy

August 16th, 2005, 11:24 AM

I wanna a sulfuric water bath and a volcanic ash shower right now

amigo32

August 16th, 2005, 01:29 PM

Aw man I'd love to see the day where I'd see a Philippine tourism ad in CNN again... I somewhat recall seeing a Philippine tourism commercial in the mid-90s aired in CNN with the "Asia's new shopping capital." theme or something along those lines. I dunno if it was my imagination because it was soo long ago... :bash:

I've read somewhere that it's just too costly (with miniscule budget) for us to air tourism commercials in CNN or BBC.

dancethingy

August 16th, 2005, 07:20 PM

PHILIPPINES’ LAST FRONTIERS - 1
S. Leyte gears up for responsible eco-tourism

By BIBSY M. CARBALLO

For the longest time, Leyte, in our ignorance, was simply MacArthur’s landing to make good his promise to return, and the hometown of Madame Imelda Marcos. We were therefore caught completely by surprise to find that in Southern Leyte, 2 ½ hours away by land from the Tacloban airport, would be found truly one of the country’s last frontiers – brewing with a most admirable community spirit, with pride in its history, and vigilance in protecting its natural resources.

We came with Shanghai-based Consul to Great Britain Ian Sargeant to help judge the annual Miss Southern Leyte beauty pageant (won by Sherry Lou Vallinas), and found it not simply a beauty contest, but a training ground for the best ambassadors of goodwill the province could muster.

We took a boat ride along waters, pristine blue even right beside the homes on the water; encircled Limasawa Island, site of the First Mass in the Philippines; and were treated to an unscheduled dolphin show from large groups of dolphins jumping out of the waters for our benefit. We saw attractive mangrove swamps occupying an area of 334 hectares; fishing grounds in the three bays of Sogod, Cabalian, and Hinunangan with tuna, herring, lobsters, flying fish, Spanish mackerel, and shell fishes in abundance.

The aggressive Negros Forests and Ecological Foundation Inc. (NFEFI) reports that although less than 4% of old growth rainforest remains in Negros, that’s still 80,000 hectares and is the largest remaining in central Philippines. Over 67% of all Philippine flora and fauna can also be found in Negros and nowhere else in the country.

In an article on the Philippines, Shay O’Farrell, Chief Technical Officer of the British-based Coral Cay Conservation Organization (CCC) wrote:

"The Philippines belongs to an area of the world recognized as having arguably the most spectacular diversity of life found anywhere on the planet… In terms of biological conservation, the country is rapidly carving a reputation for itself as one of the most proactive nations in Southeast Asia… "

The CCC and the provincial Government of Southern Leyte headed by its feisty governor Rosette Y. Lerias have signed a MoA for a coral reef collaborative conservation project to ensure long-term protection of marine resources throughout Southern Leyte that would provide training and conservation education opportunities for local participants. Apart from this, the "Fred, the Fish," puppet show tours local schools, providing children with learning tools. In the show, Fred, the fish, loses his coral home when an anchor drops on it, and he seeks the help of other fishes to find another sanctuary.

Continuing his article, O’Farrell reports that in 2003, the renowned coral biologist Dr. Doug Fenner visited Sogod Bay, base camp of the CCC and its team of marine biology volunteers. Fenner, he said, was able to identify "in just six hours of diving nearly 300 different species of reef-building coral… That’s nearly as many species in just one small bay as can be found on the entire Great Barrier Reef in Australia, or four times the total number for the whole of the Caribbean."

DEVELOPING AN EMPOWERED CITIZENRY

Both Ian and myself are friends of Dundeet, the governor’s daughter from whom she most obviously inherited her leadership traits. Still she had not sufficiently prepared us for what we saw during the three-day visit. We were overwhelmed, to say the least, by the inroads the province was making in ecological preservation, but more so in the pride and dignity so apparent in the citizenry.

Much of this change has been due to the enlightened leadership of Governor Lerias, now on her last term of office. In short snatches of conversation in-between her official tasks, the governor related how difficult it was during her early years – running after the illegal loggers, catching the dynamite fishermen, teaching the barrio folk the importance of waste disposal.

Today, much of the area has been reforested; the fishermen themselves run after the dynamite fishers, reporting the crime just as it happens. The provincial seat of government in Maasin operates a garbage compactor and dump trucks to haul refuse to designated waste disposal sites. The crime rate is so negligible at less than 200 annually, and a crime solution rate of 99%.

Southern Leyte, with its half million population, has evolved into a model province, the envy of neighboring provinces which have happily decided to follow the same track. Life in this last frontier is leisurely and slow-paced, with its leader aware that tourism can bring more progress to the province.

It would have to start off with eco-tourism, explains the governor’s daughter Dundeet, with mountaineers and back-packers cognizant of the value of environmental protection, and the dangers irresponsible tourism can bring to any virgin landscape. With such an erudite game plan, there is no way for Southern Leyte to go but maintain its enviable reputation as a paragon of how one can survive in this technological era. (E-mail the author at bibsymcar@yahoo.com.)

marites4

August 17th, 2005, 02:34 AM

that's good news. Hope it catches on to neighboring province.

amigo32

August 19th, 2005, 06:02 AM

http://www.mb.com.ph/TOUR2005081942263.html

Breakthrough in RP campaign to regain Japan tourist market

A program of beefing up the Philippine-Japan relationships to promote the country as a favorite tourism destination and thus regain the Japan market is being pushed by the Manila Japanese Travel Agents & Hoteliers Association (MJTAHA).

This was disclosed by Teody E. Espallardo, MJTAHA president, during the group’s recent membership meeting at the newly-opened Crowne Plaza Galleria Manila in Ortigas Avenue, Mandaluyong City.

As part of the campaign, MJTAHA actively participated in the recent Philippine business mission to Japan, a highyield priority market being targeted by the Department of Tourism (DoT).

Since the Department of Tourism (DoT) and Philippine Convention and Visitors Corporation (PCVC) kicked-off its sales calls to Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka last June, the campaign has briskly pushed and cornered a chunky share of the Japan market.

Espallardo took part in the Tokyo leg of the Philippine business mission to Japan led by Tourism Secretary Joseph Durano and Rosario Victoria C. Gaetos, deputy executive director of the PCVC and head of the Team Japan.

The RP sales mission garnered positive results, Espallardo said, and was further buoyed by the PCVC’s RP marketing strategies, which was presented by Doris Aperejado during the MJTAHA meeting.

Aperejado’s update included the trade agenda drawn up specifically by the DoT and PCVC for the Japanese market. A more revved-up program included plugging of Nippon-based ads for promotion through different mediums and printed travel profiles catering to the Japanese.

Espallardo noted that the vigorous drive of the government to win back the Japanese market has began paying off as shown in this year’s first quarter Japanese arrivals in the country, which was marked by 7.8 percent increase compared to the same period last year.

On the home front, Espallardo said, MJTAHA aims to:

Showcase the RP as a favored tourism destination among the Japanese,

Firm up RP-Japan business ties with MJTAHA as catalyst in charting tourism programs and policies,

Draw more associates and expand the organization,

Coordinate with the Japan Embassy for the extensive and continuous information dissemination and education on Japanese language and culture,

Secure assistance from both the government and the private sector to make promotional materials in Japanese for sales blitzes.

To impress its stronger presence, the MJTAHA unveiled its new corporate logo, which complemented its far-sighted shot to build up its membership and keep an active part in the country’s tourism industry.

Along with the new logo is the slight change in the organization’s officially incorporated and newly registered name – the MJTAHA Association, Inc.

Thus, Espallardo said, the MJTAHA marks another milestone in its efforts "to renew and reinforce stronger ties between the Philippines and Japan."

Before an audience of special guests and travel and tourism players and movers, Espallardo expressed optimism that MJTAHA will succeed in initiating joint and interactive celebration of festivals of both countries with the assistance from the Embassy of Japan and the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Espallardo also mapped out the group’s plan to produce a comprehensive and complete travel guidebook about the Philippines written in Japanese.

To carry out most of the programs, Espallardo said, the MJTAHA needs to establish partnership with various national travel organizations and local tourism councils nationwide.

This move is one of the best ways to assure the involvement of MJTAHA in government-led sales missions especially to Japan, as well as JATA conferences and other Japanese travel fairs.

In his recent visit to Japan, Espallardo said, he met with his counterpart and touched base with the officers and members of the Japan-Philippines Tourism Council. The group will be coming over in September in time for the year-end Philippine Travel Mart. MJTAHA will be hosting a dinner reception for the group to provide extensive links among stakeholders of the Japan market.

Next year will be twice as important for MJTAHA as it will actively take part in the preparation for the RP-Japan 50th anniversary festival.

The forthcoming ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) held in January yearly, Espallardo said, is going to be another opportunity for the Philippines to come up with its best. "Myanmar has given up the ASEAN chairmanship and the Philippines will surely be a frontrunner. Let’s hope for the best, and it will be a good chance to show off the country’s top touris

m products and destinations in the international market."

Skyblade

August 19th, 2005, 11:55 AM

Taiwanese visitors increase as new air service opens
Link to the article (http://www.mb.com.ph/TOUR2005081642012.html)

Taiwanese visitor arrivals rose in June and a new air service opened between Taipei and Clark special economic zone in signs the Taiwan market for Philippine tourism is rebounding amid strong tourism development efforts by the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO).

Department of Tourism data shows arrivals from Taiwan increased 5.5% in June from year-earlier levels, the second month in a row that arrivals have increased since killer tsunamis in the Indian Ocean induced a travel slump across Southeast Asia. May arrivals had increased 3.9% year-on-year.

"We are back," said Gerry Panga, tourism representative at MECO, the Philippines’ representative office in Taiwan. "Our efforts to project the Philippines as a viable destination and generate maximum trade support and mileage are paying off. While other affected countries are still experiencing decreased travel from Taiwan, we are seeing some growth already."

Meanwhile, Taiwan’s Far Eastern Air Transport and SET Tours have started regular charter flights to Clark in a route breakthrough that opens up the SEZ as the newest tourism-industrial hub for Taiwanese. The inaugural flight with 150 passengers on board arrived July 29 at the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport.

The twice-weekly flight service, with departures from Taipei on Fridays and Sundays, will use MD-82 aircraft with a capacity of 150 passengers. The charter operator will initially run the flights until October with the possibility of extension.

"We are very hopeful that these flights would be extended even beyond October because we have been getting very good responses from tour operators in Taiwan," said Romulo Manlapig, deputy representative for programs of MECO.

Manlapig said the route opening comes at an ideal time. With Indonesia still recovering from the effects of the tsunami last December, the Philippines is now being marketed as the best alternative tourism destination in the region, he said.

The new service was made possible through joint efforts of MECO and the Lee Young Union based in Taichung. "This is the same group that brought the first Taiwanese cruise ship from the port of Kaohsiung to Manila," said MECO director Isabel O. Golamco.

That particular cruise brought in over 800 Taiwanese visitors to the country, Lee Young Union has also organized corporate clients to bring their employees for their yearly vacations to the Philippines.

The new charter service hopes to bring in 4000 passengers over the next three months. Friday arrivals will mostly be casino players who will travel and stay within Clark on three-day two-nights tour packages on a visa-free basis. Sunday arrivals would carry tour groups on five-to-six day tour package, including stays in Manila and side trips to Tagaytay or Subic.

Panga said efforts are being made to expand to market by tapping golf players and corporate accounts for short weekend leisure trips anchored on shopping as well as gaming.

He said Clark offers many advantages as a strategic gateway. Taiwanese visitors would face fewer inconveniences, such as no-visa travel options and faster transfer to hotels, being away from heavy traffic in Manila. Clark is also close to Subic, Pampanga, and other major destinations besides Manila and has world-class service and tourist facilities.

Clark represents a route breakthrough for Far Eastern, which has opened thrice-weekly charter flights between Laoag City and Kaohsiung in Southern Taiwan since April 2001, and for SET Tours, one of the largest travel agents in Taiwan.

The travel agency has been away from the country for some time, having last carried the Philippines in its programs in 2003, mainly featuring travel to Subic.

Clark Development Corp. CEO Antonio Ng said the arrival of the Taiwanese tourists would boost tourism in Clark as well as in neighboring Angeles City. "We always welcome with open arms tourists who decide to fly into Clark," he said. "There is just so much for them to see here in this part of the Philippines."

Manlapig said MECO is looking to develop other destinations in the Philippines. "We are also working closely with Far Eastern and we are in the process of negotiating flights between Taiwan and places like Bohol and Kalibo."

MECO Resident Representative Antonio I. Basilio said Lee Young Union has expressed interest in pursuing other ventures in the Philippines. He said the union’s president, Lu Yu Min, told him they are acquiring another cruise ship and that their plans include sailing to Manila again.

He quoted Lu as saying the Philippines is an ideal place to visit and that they feel they can pursue other plans together with MECO.

MECO is hopeful of getting bigger flows of Taiwanese tourists to the Philippines this year. "We want to increase the number of Taiwanese heading south for rest and recreation by 30% this year," Basilio said. "We also want to bring in high-end tour packages."

In 2004, 114,000 Taiwanese visited the Philippines, the highest level since 1999 when an aviation dispute cut arrivals to a low of 75,000. Panga said this year his team is targeting arrivals of 126,000 to 130,000.

stephencua

August 24th, 2005, 02:17 AM

this guy is fast becoming my favorite cabinet person.. hahahaha.. alot of optimism in the country and he delivers results!!! as they say, sana dumami ang lahi mo!! taken from mb.com.ph...

Durano eyes India and E. Russia, world’s new tourist-rich markets

By CORNELIO R. DE GUZMAN

The Department of Tourism opened yesterday major markets in India and Eastern Russia, two of the world’s newest rich sources of tourists in its efforts to reach its target of 2.5 million international tourists by the end of this year.

DoT Secretary Joseph Durano said that all indications showed that the DoT will achieve this target because during the first half of this year (January to June) inbound tourists had already reached the 1.3 million mark, more than half of the total target of 2.5 million for the year.

To ensure the success of the DoT tourism drive, Secretary Durano is launching sales blitz to India with a population of one billion and Eastern Russia where most of the Russian economic wealth is concentrated.

Target of sales drives are the novo rich of India whose various industries are booming and business executives and the high-paid working class of Eastern Russia, located just above China, where most Russian export and local products are manufactured.

Durano said Russian outbound tourists from this region are known world over as great spenders.

He said however that because of an obsolete law Indians like their Chinese counterpart are restricted from entering the country as being "blacklisted nationals.’’ He however assured that a visa scheme similar to "visa upon arrival’’ for the Chinese tourists shall also be applied to Indian visitors upon the recommendation of highly respected tour operators.

Durano said when he took over the DoT leadership on Aug. 31 last year the annual international arrivals were only 1.9 million, excluding balikbayans and overseas Filipino workes (OFW).

He attributed the big increase of international arrivals today to the micro or localized type of promotion he initiated as compared to past DoT administrations’ macro or umbrella promotional campaign, that is one campaign for all markets or destinations.

He said during the past decade tourism was stagnant because there were only 8,000 hotel rooms around the country and there was no need to expand due to lack of demand.

He added that because of the umbrella promotional campaign of the past "shot gun lang tayo and our main source market was 46 percent Japan, Korea, English-speaking countries, Hong Kong, Taiwan and China."

He said in the "shot gun" promo the penetration of the market was at its low. But when "we staged the localized placement promotions, at the end of 2004, for the very first time, we reached the two million mark, seeing unprecedented growth of our markets: China, 138 percent; Korea, 25 perent; Japan grew 9 percent.

Durano said the main problem of the tourism industry today is the lack of hotels in the Philippines creating bottlenecks in chain of supply. He said hotel infrastructure during the past 10 years was not only expanding but even contracted when some hotels closed down.

But he is seeing a bright light at the end of the tunnel because there is great demand today for more hotels. "As long as there is demand the private sector will invest and they are investing with gestation period of two years."

Asked whether homestay program could fill the gap in the hotel rooms shortage, he said it would be of no use because 90 percent of tourists here preferred to stay in four or five-star hotels. He said homestay accommodation is only popular in Europe because of North American backpackers who usually spend their vacation there.

Explaining the economics of tourism, Durano said that for every tourist one job is created. So for the 1.3 million international arrivals for the last six months, it created 1.3 million new jobs and generated $1.3 billion revenue for the country.

Also, Durano said travel advisory does not affect adversely tourism in the Philippines because it comes from Western countries which are not major markets. He said our major markets like Korea, Japan, and China do not advise their nationals from traveling to the Philippines.

richard fischer

August 24th, 2005, 07:29 AM

did i not shortly read in a philippine newspaper (or was it gov.ph) that the japanease government advised their population about traveling to safety restricted areas in mindanao ??

kiretoce

August 24th, 2005, 09:41 PM

Central Visayas: RP's center of tourism

Being the geographic center of the Philippine archipelago, representing literally its heart, the Central Visayas' composition of four distinct island provinces has pleasantly become a surprising unified unit before the rest of the country. Tourist attractions and destinations match and complement each other.

While all four provinces have the same excellent beaches and dive sites and equally captivating cultural diversity, the modern and sophisticated urban amenities of Cebu are beautifully juxtaposed with the ecological richness of the other three provinces, with Oriental Negros and Bohol coming in as "happy composites" of both.

"Region 7 indeed is the seat of the country's tourism empire." This was the gist of the Chairman's Report delivered by Gov. Erico Aumentado at the General Assembly of Tourism Councils in the Central Visayas (Region 7) at Bohol Tropics Resort Club yesterday.

Aumentado further enumerated the accomplishments of his three-year stint as chairman of the Assembly.

Among those were the adjudging of the region as best in the country during the "Best of the Regions" Showcase in Intramuros, lobbying with the Civil Aeronautics Board to give landing rights to international airlines and the passing of a resolution to lower the cost of shipping private vehicles to MARINA, worked on the development of another tourist port in Siquijor, proposal in the form of a resolution endorsed to the Department of Tourism requesting for an Integrated Tourism Masterplan.

A complimentary resolution was likewise passed to NEDA Investment Coordination Commit-tee's Technical Board for Funding under Japan International Cooperation Agency.

Aumentado boasted of the tourist arrivals in the region that increased by 40% in the past three years even amidst crises.

On the other hand, Sec. Joseph 'Ace' Durano of the Department of Tourism graced the assembly and presented the highlights of the Philippine Tourism on the Upswing.

He presented the statistics on visitor arrivals to the Philippines that dramatically soared from -8.2% in 2000 to 20.1% in 2004. He also presented to the assembly the strategies employed by the department in continuously harboring international tourist especially for the top three markets of the country; Korea, Japan and China.

Accordingly, the department distributed brochures, did advertisements both in print and television to promote Philippine tourism.

Rep. Nerissa Corazon Ruiz, vice-chair, committee on tourism, enumerated the concerns of the tourism industry - infrastructure, accessibility, tourism policy, aviation policy, promotion/ marketing, culture of tourism, security and safety of tourists (kidnappings, insurgency problems, health issues) and capability building for human resource.

Ruiz added that the committee on tourism in the House of representatives is conducting consultations and public hearings with the various sectors affected by what it considers as centerpiece legislation, the proposed consolidated measure entitled "An Act Declaring a National Policy on Tourism as the Primary Engine of Investment, Employment, Growth and National Development and Strengthening the Department of Tourism and Appropriating Funds Therefore.

kiretoce

August 26th, 2005, 10:50 PM

Durano to lead in RP celebration of National Day at World Expo 2005

Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace H. Durano will lead the country’s delegation to Aichi, Japan for the Philippines’ National Day celebration at the World Expo 2005.

According to Durano, the celebration will be a four-day festivity from Sept. 19 to 22 showcasing the Philippines’ cultural diversity and rich, colorful traditions in songs, dances and music, with a gala performance on Sept. 20 at the 3,000 capacity Expo Dome within the expo site.

"The Philippine National Day performances were produced especially for the World Expo by the Cultural Center of the Philippines with veteran stage director Monino Duque and a production cast of 160 performing artists from all over the Philippines," Durano said.

The Sept. 20 gala performance will have an all-star cast which will combine different genres in a surprising and dazzling one-hour cultural extravaganza.

The cast will include vocalists Johnson Uy and Rachelle Gerodias, the Ballet Philippines, the Philippine Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra, the Sining Kumintang ng Batangas, the Streetboys, the Tanghalang Pilipino, and the prizewinning Yag-yag Festival Dancers from Negros Oriental, all gracefully interpreting traditional and contemporary works before a dominantly Japanese audience.

The delegation will include Philippine Ambassador to Japan Domingo Siazon, Philippine Commissioner General for World Expo 2005 and Team Japan Head Rosvi C. Gaetos of the Department of Tourism (DoT), General Manager Robert Dean Barbers of the Philippine Tourism Authority, Director Patria Aurora Roa of DoT Region VI, and delegations from Bohol and Negros Oriental led by Governors Erico Aumentado and Jorge P. Arnaiz, respectively.

Philippine Airlines, major sponsor of the Philippine participation in the World Expo, will be represented by its president and chief operating officer Jaime J. Bautista and regional head for East Asia Genaro Velasquez.

The Philippine National Day celebrations will be graced by Japanese government and expo officials led by chairman Shoichiro Toyoda of the Japan Association for the World Expo 2005 and the Toyota Motor Corporation, and World Expo Commissioner General and Ambassador Taizo Watanabe.

Joining them in welcoming the Philippine delegation will be the governor of Aichi province and the mayor of Nagoya City. The Aichi governor will host at the Nagoya Marriott Hotel a welcome dinner reception that will cap the Sept. 20 celebrations.

Mayor Katsuyuki Nakano of Toyokawa City, the Friendship City of the Philippines in the World Expo, will lead a 500-man delegation to the Philippine National Day celebrations at the Expo Dome.

After the celebration, Durano and his delegation will proceed to Tokyo for the Sept. 21-24 World Congress and World Travel Fair of the Japanese Association of Travel Agents.

Durano is hopeful that Japanese arrivals to the Philippines will continue to grow as a result of the highly-successful Philippine participation in the World Expo, which has tremendously helped improve the country’s profile and image among the Japanese.

Durano also announced the start of preparations for the celebration of the Philippine-Japan Friendship Year next year involving a host of high-profile promotional activities all over Japan, all aimed at capturing a bigger share of the projected Japanese outbound market of some 17.4 million this year and up to 20 million by 2010.

Mango

August 27th, 2005, 02:42 AM

'Bantay Turista' launched

THE Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Tourism, the Philippine National Police and tourism groups led by the Save Our Skies and National Association of Independent Travel Agencies have formally launched the "Bantay Turista" project to protect tourists, "balikbayan" and overseas Filipino workers from criminals.

DILG Secretary Angelo T. Reyes, DoT Secretary Joseph H. Durano and PNP Chief Director General Arturo C. Lomibao signed the memorandum of agreement setting in motion the "National Tourist-Oriented Police, Community-Oriented Police" (National Top Cop) project in coordination with the tourism organizations.

Unveiling the project at the 777 media forum in Pasay City, DILG Undersecretary Melchor Rosales said the government considers tourism a vital industry which needs the support of concerned agencies and law enforcement authorities.

The media forum, which is held every Thursday, was initiated by the Travel Cooperative of the Philippines, SOS and NAITAs and participated in by mediamen from the country's top radio stations.

Rosales said the Bantay Turista project was an offshoot of a series of meetings between the government and NAITAS, SOS and TCP on how to further protect tourists visiting the country.

The undertaking, he said, was conceived to project a positive image for the country, which is being tainted by reports of crimes committed against tourists, investors, foreign visitors and OFWs.

The DILG, DOT and PNP will be coordinating their efforts and resources to ensure the successful implementation of measures aimed at ensuring the safety of tourists and OFWs.

Initially, tourist policemen will be deployed to Metro Manila, Baguio/Banawe, Vigan/Laoag, Palawan, Boracay/Iloilo/Bacolod City, Cebu/Bohol/Dumaguete City, Camiguin, Davao and Subic/Clark.

Rosales said police visibility will be enhanced in these areas while policemen assigned to tourist detachments will be made to perform security, investigation, community relations and follow-up operations on crimes committed against tourists and OFWs.

As part of the project, policemen will undergo refresher and training courses to upgrade their skills and familiarize them on proper procedures, particularly in providing immediate assistance to tourists.

Saturday, August 27, 2005
6:27:58 AM

rustyboi

August 29th, 2005, 10:11 AM

RP becoming favorite of tourists from Korea

THE Philippines is 5,000 tourists away from becoming the most preferred tourist destination of Koreans in Southeast Asia, according to the country’s tourism chief.

Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Joseph “Ace” Durano said during the general membership meeting of the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines at the Cebu City Marriott Hotel on Friday that the Philippines stands a close chance of grabbing the position as the premier tourist destination of Koreans in Southeast Asia—a position which is being enjoyed by Thailand.

This development happened even with the DOT’s limited budget of $5 million for promotions compared with Thailand’s $500-million budget for the promotion of its tourist attractions.

But Durano said the country must address, as early as now, the foreseen bottlenecks—availability of flights, air and land infrastructure, accommodation and products—in the tourism value chain that would arise due to the increase in tourist arrivals in the country.

DOT promotion

While the number of Korean arrivals in the country from January to July this year increased by 27 percent from the same period last year, Thailand experienced a 15 percent decline of Korean arrivals for the same period, Durano said.

“We are now seeing the effects of the DOT’s promotion and advertising approach, which is to target specific markets,” he said.

Beginning last year, the DOT, under the leadership of Durano, has implemented the recommendation of the McKinsey report, which is to focus on the promotion of the country’s tourist destinations in the key short-haul tourist markets of China, Japan and Korea by zeroing in on the specific interests of each country.

McKinsey is among the top consulting companies in the world. It is known for brilliant analyses of competition and insightful development of opportunities.

Top

Durano said Koreans still topped the list of foreign arrivals in the country for the first seven months of the year. Japan and China ranked second and third, respectively.

He said establishing linkages with travel wholesalers in Japan, such as the Japan Travel Bureau, has helped the country regain the Japanese tourists’ interest in the Philippines. Japanese arrivals in the Philippines increased eight percent from January to July this year from a year ago.

While the Chinese tourists ranked third among the foreign tourists that visited the Philippines, the group registered the highest growth in arrivals of 153 percent for the same period.

Durano said the number of Chinese who visited the Philippines during the first seven months of this year already surpassed the total number of Chinese arrivals in 2004.

He said the DOT would continue its efforts in ensuring that the Philippines will be visible in these three markets.

Durano also urged the private sector to help the government in addressing the problems, especially the availability of accommodation and products, that are expected to arise with the development of the country’s tourism industry.

Sinjin P.

August 29th, 2005, 11:05 AM

Cebu, aside from being a PGMA country is currently a Korea Country because on all corners you see Korean tourists.

xDieselJockx

August 29th, 2005, 01:02 PM

Cebu, aside from being a PGMA country is currently a Korea Country because on all corners you see Korean tourists.

That is so true Michael, when I was there,everywhere i turned my head, I see a pack of Koreans and in the hotel I stayed in, you would see Korean couples around alot. Let's just hope that all these terrorist treats and attacks won't get out of hand because it will affect the tourism industry. I think I read something about that here in the US, although we are not totally being stopped from traveling to the key cities in the Philippines, we are being forewarned about the key areas to visit there if not being discouraged to travel in the Philippines.

_zner_

August 29th, 2005, 01:30 PM

korean tourists??? i think theyre migrating... here in commonwealth,QC there are a lot of koreans who study and live here...there are a lot of korean kids in every notopia internet cafes..

xDieselJockx

August 29th, 2005, 01:44 PM

Maybe they have Korean fathers with filipina mothers Myx, I don't think a couple of internet cafe's where a few Korean kids hang out will represent the whole korean community all over the Philippine Island. I know when I was there for a visit what I saw were Korean tourist as they were all in the hotel I stayed in and saw a number of then in tour buses...

Sinjin P.

August 29th, 2005, 02:32 PM

Yes, they come to learn ENGLISH but first, take a dip in our beaches then climb up high to our TOPS! :)

JudeD

August 29th, 2005, 04:05 PM

Here in Malate everywhere I look there are Koreans. My neighbors are Korean, the internet cafes, convenience stores, and restaurants in the area are full of them too.

rustyboi

August 29th, 2005, 05:01 PM

^^ u're right judeD. used to stay in a condo in Vito Cruz and everytime i ride an elevator, most of the time kasabay ko may Korean. a lot of Koreans are studying english in La Salle. :)

marites4

August 29th, 2005, 08:56 PM

Is there a Korean town yet, like China town?

slerz

September 2nd, 2005, 06:09 AM

Yes, they come to learn ENGLISH but first, take a dip in our beaches then climb up high to our TOPS! :)

Korean Tourists.... Whenever I'm in Basilica del Sto. Nino, a lot of them touring around the basilica infact many are irritated with them including me coz they're always pausing and taking pics with the original Nino @ their back with the many worshipers infront of them and mind you, they're so noisy but I understand them coz they make out tourism alive. I also see a lot of singkit reporters infront of the Magellans cross but I just can't understand what they're saying....

about ENGLISH....
I am really thankful to them, Koreans and Taiwanese tourists coz my mother usually has a tutorial class of elementary students but starting 2003, some Korean and Taiwanese tourists went to her place and asked her to teach them english, now my mother has about 5-6 Korean and Taiwanese adult students.
It shows that tourism can really benefit us a lot....so lets support out tourism industry and as a citizen, lets also do our little own ways to promote our country, like me I'm contributing a little here in SSC by promoting Cebu and the Philippines and also in chatrooms.

chymera00

September 2nd, 2005, 06:35 AM

Construction of P1.2-billion PTA Oceanarium Park to start

The construction of the country’s first ever world-class Oceanarium Park will start as soon as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) issues its clearance, and the city of Manila the building permit, according to Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA) General Manager and chief executive officer Robert Dean Barbers.

Barbers said the project which may start construction next month stands to benefit the Filipino people in terms of job opportunity, boosting tourism and helping the country’s economic growth.

He said the beauty of the project is that it has no sovereign guarantee, "meaning the Philippine government will not answer for the losses of the investors."

In May, the PTA has bagged a US$20- million investment for the country by entering into an agreement with the China Oceanis Group Ltd. (COGL), a Malaysian-Chinese consortium for the construction of a world-class Walk-thru Oceanarium, to be located at the back of the Quirino Grandstand at the Luneta Park.

Under the 25-year lease period, the COGL, will develop an Oceanarium which will showcase thousands of local marine species, dining facilities, maritime discovery walk and promenade areas.

Signatories were Barbers and COGL’s chairman Andrew Lee.

COGL will construct a Bay Pavilion that will feature retail shops, restaurants, and a plaza for special events.

The proponents will also develop the area in front of the boardwalk into a park and open the same to the general public for free.

"Our efforts to convince foreign business to invest in the country’s growing tourism industry have finally reaped its rewards. The PTA is one of the first government agencies to bag such profitable deal with a foreign investor,’’ Barbers said.

"The infusion of foreign investment into the country speaks more forcefully of the domestic economic environment than any other medium. This is one such investment,’’ he added.

The project also envisions to educate environmental awareness of the country’s marine life, research and conservation.

The project will be done in three phases. The main project is the transformation of the platform into an Oceanarium with a complementary Bay Pavilion.

The Oceanarium is a 1.2 million gallon aquarium that will showcase various marine life like sharks, stingrays and tropical fishes. It will have an acrylic walkthrough tunnel where people can have the experience of walking underwater with fishes swimming all around them.

The Bay Pavilion, a multi-level complex will house retail stores that complement the Oceanarium as well as estalishments that will showcase the best of Philippine cuisine, arts and crafts.

Phase II is the creation of a sandy beach along the existing breakwater in the Landside facing the Platform and the transformation of the water sea between the Platform and the breakwater into a self-contained swimming pool area for the public.

Phase III is the transformation of the current park on the Landslide into an Ocean Discovery Center.

It will have various pool ponds that will have stingrays and star fish which the public can touch.

Construction period for the entire project is one-and-a-half years.

The boardwalk has been idle for quite sometime after the previous administration spent close to R289 million of its unfinished project.

However, the government is set to earn R927 million worth of investments with a rental rate of R16.5 million with upward adjustments every five years. (Lynda B. Valencia/PNA)

_zner_

September 2nd, 2005, 02:01 PM

korean town/? thats nice... sandara could be the investor... haha...
pure koreans are invading manila... even in glorietta, most of the tourists are koreans...

KulasKusgan

September 3rd, 2005, 01:13 PM

Friday September 2, 1:28 PM
Davao to Earn Some US$6.4 MLN During 2006 Global Tourism Forum

DAVAO CITY, Sept 2 Asia Pulse - Davao is expected to rake in about P360 million (US$6.4 million) in revenues with its hosting of the upcoming Asean Tourism Forum (ATF) slated on January 13-21 next year.

The projection was made by Davao Tourism Association (DATA) president Art Boncato who is also marketing department head of Marco Polo, Davao.

At media held here Wednesday Boncato said the total budget, which will be earmarked for the ATF 2006 is P120 million with P27 million as city's counterpart, P3 million private sector counterpart and P100 million from the Department of Tourism (DoT).

Although the expected revenues in tour packages that will flow is "unquantifiable", Boncato, however, sounded sure that the return of investments (ROI) which the city would generate is triple the P120-million budget.

Boncato is confident the city will raise that much with a total of 450 foreign buyers from non-Asean countries who are coming during the nine-day international tourism activity.

He said the expected 3,000 ATF participants may also serve as sellers of Davao to non-Asean countries such as South Africa, Canada and United States of America (USA).

Also, about 120 foreign media are slated to fly in to document and conduct blow by blow coverage of ATF events, 10 tourism councils from various countries and representatives from five other countries such as China, Japan, Russia and two other countries, he added.

Boncato said TTG Asia, an international newspaper/magazine, has also committed to bring along foreign buyers.

The publication has also committed to publish daily everything good about Davao and Mindanao as a whole prior to the holding of the ATF.

He said the first two days of the event will be focused on government meetings while the remaining seven days would be entirely spent to selling and business matching activities.

"The event is really galvanizing international business partnerships and signing of contracts," Boncato said.

Susan Palad, head of ATF secretariat, said a major component of the ATF would be the conduct of a Mindanao Trade Exhibit that will showcase the island's best products.

ATF secretariat is eyeing to hold the exhibit at Shoe Mart Davao mall.

Councilor Susabel Reta, city council's tourism committee chair, said the city is also planning to close three major streets officially declared by the City Council as the city's China town from September 16-19.

These are the streets of Ramon Magsaysay, Sta. Ana and Villa Abrille where traders will highlight products from various countries specifically China and Mindanao.

The planned countryside and island tour for the thousands of foreign visitors are also eyed as potential sources of revenues of the upcoming event.

Boncato said ATF secretariat, however, is preparing a free island tour for the ministers.

The potential tourist spots eyed for the countryside and island tour include the Philippine Eagle, Malagos Garden Resort and Sul Orchids in Davao City and its outskirts such as the tourists' favorite the Samal Island, located in the Island Garden City of Samal.

(PNA)

Jimbu

September 6th, 2005, 05:29 PM

DoT projects over 2.5 M tourists in 2005

By Jerome Aning
Inquirer News Service

THE DEPARTMENT of Tourism remains “highly optimistic” that it would go beyond its target of 2.5 million foreign tourist arrivals by the end of 2005.

“There is a great possibility that we are not only going to achieve our target of 2.5 million tourists arrivals for this year, but will surpass it with the programs we have been carrying out,” said Secretary Joseph Ace Durano.

He cited department statistics showing that as of July 2005, 1,340,604 foreign tourists have visited the country.

richard fischer

September 6th, 2005, 10:18 PM

so i guess more tourists come into the country in the last 5 months as in the first 7 months? anyhow, that is great news for all domestic airlines !

slerz

September 7th, 2005, 12:36 AM

dancethingy

September 7th, 2005, 02:01 AM

That's great, I really hope that someday we can overtake Thailand. Thailand is a great place and a beautiful country to visit. But, the Philippines has a lot more to explore and discover. I mean we're a latinized people, with asian bloodlines, how passionate and crazy can you get?

richard fischer

September 7th, 2005, 08:47 PM

the problem why most tourists from usa and europe go to thailand, malaysia, vietnam, japan and china is because these countires have a definate asian character. the philippines does not have enough asian style of it´s own. in thailand and myanmar you find pagodes, one of a kind. in japan and china again their own asian style and religion. malaysia has it mixed but asian heritage. the philippines has catholic (former european) churches. not many will fly 12 000 miles from from a catholic country to see churches they find better kept and richer furnished within their own continents. americans fly for that to europe. europeans fly to the us for their skyscrapers, rocky mountains and crazy california. mainly tourists come to the philippines from those places because of the beaches, not for your heritage. asian tourist though, koreans, japanease, malaysians, chinease come to the philippines for their catholic past, besides beautiful beaches. that is why the bulk of tourists in the philippines are from japan korea and lately china.

richard fischer

September 7th, 2005, 08:47 PM

Lili

September 7th, 2005, 09:00 PM

^ Well, we can't escape our past. I remember Boybaha having an issue with 'orientalism' of the Philippines for touristic purpose. Do you still have that issue Mike?

thewreckoning88

September 8th, 2005, 03:57 AM

wat bout tourists that go to the philippine for shopping! i know here that a lot of tourists from australia go for beaches, shopping, the bargains and the culture of the philipinos. maybe in the next few years philippines could be one of the biggest tourist destinations of sea, its already starting now.

OtAkAw

September 8th, 2005, 05:29 AM

The problem is the lack of media exposure, and tourism advertisments. Hardly anyone in Britain know where Boracay is located! Why dont we promote ala Thailand or Malaysia? Parang nabana sila sa ads ehh....

Mango

September 8th, 2005, 05:40 AM

(As it appeared in the Philippine STAR, 23 February 2005, page 16 and 17.)

Branding the Philippines
W. Scott Thompson,
Dateline: Philippines

(Writer is author of three books about Philippine politics and a former
assistant secretary of state in Washington DC. He resides part-time in
Talisay, Batangas)

France is delicious food and fine living. Germany is technological quality. Amazing Thailand is smiles, resorts, and (increasingly) up-scale food exports. Finland is, quite simply, Nokia, though it should also be fine architecture. China is ancient culture and modern miracles. Malaysia has mounted a spectacularly successful campaign and despite the comparative paucity of travel advantages, it substantially outdraws Indonesia, which has Borobodur and Bali. There is an enormous incentive to brand; secondary products get the benefit of the primary ones for which the country is branded, and the primary ones sell at a premium.

What is the Philippines? It is elusive, partly because branding in the first instance depends on a clear identity, and only recently has a clear identity emerged here, inside the country. Until the Ramos presidency, there was a regional tendency not to take the Philippines seriously. Filipinos are attractive, they sing, they dance and then what? Until Eddie [Ramos] became president we never paid much attention, a distinguished former prime minister of Thailand commented. Outside, what the Philippines represents lags behind the reality in perception. The obvious point is to find a comparative advantage, and press it. Then make sure the country is known for it and reaps benefits commercially and from tourism.

The problem for the Philippines is that what Filipinos most value in their country is not necessarily what is going to sell best, if there is a desire to brand. The usual openings for branding, presentation, food, style on work as well. The Thai, for example, consider first impressions of great import and present themselves accordingly; they have made their food a phenomenal international success, in part because its tastes blend the already
established Chinese and Indian cuisines; and for less clear reasons seem to have an innate sense of style, perhaps deriving from the continuity of their cultural evolution for 800 years.
Filipinos are too sincere and straight-forward to concern themselves with first impressions: think of NAIA III, the three-year delay in that all-important first impression and the defense rests. Filipinos will say they simply don’t care what people think of them; but it isn’t true and what people think of them drives foreign investment and thus wealth and job creation. Indonesia, with a lower per capita income than the Philippines, makes a far better first impression at its Jakarta airport. Filipino food, so beloved
here, simply doesn’t work with foreigners. Old customs and costumes or which Bali is justly famous and on which it rests reputation, have, more than in the rest of the region, died out here, except in provincial fiestas. And the still sometimes present preoccupation with things American mixes up the underlying Filipino sense of style.

But after thirty visits in thirty five years to this archipelago along with visits to 60 other countries what stands out to me is the very special character of Filipinos: friendly Filipinas who care, nurture, entertain, and delight. And who take life seriously as they must given the challenges of typhoons, earthquakes, volcanoes. People’s tastes vary but my guess is that a national advertising campaign based on beautiful people, smiling children, radiant women and handsome men, would be more easily constructed in this country than any other. With the spectacular geography as background and the growing seriousness of manufacturing exports under girding the economy, it should not be difficult to build an appropriate campaign.

Filipinos sing and perform all over Asia but this isn’t fed into the brand. It can be. This is the only country where a hospital patient is made almost to feel good, with family provided for in the room. A whole industry should develop out of this, rather than the exportation of thousands of physicians and nurses abroad. That doesn’t happen overnight, but if friendly and nurturing are in the brand, more investment will flow into that area.
Thailand made itself a medical center starting with plastic surgery; the Philippines can do far more, but in less superficial areas.

Of course tourism is almost primitive here, in relation to what the natural beauty would permit. Again compared to Thailand, the Philippines coastline is immensely longer and the natural beauty superior. But the Thai know how to receive guests and to organize their resorts. The idea of a littered beach is anathema to a Thai. On spectacular Lake Taal, an almost wholly undeveloped resource on Manila’s doorstep, but one of the grandest sights in the world, long stretches of sandy beach are covered by plastic and other detritus.
Everything that has happened of significance here in recent years feeds into the central image. People power indeed: all those smiling faces stuffing tanks with flowers, that taught the world so much. Jailing a corrupt president shows that corruption is taken seriously at least part of the time. So the politics can support the image. Even the merry-go-round of daily politics feuding, bargaining, coalition building sustains the image of people building better lives and taking their politics seriously.

Ultimately branding has to derive from reality. But a national campaign to present itself in a focused way abroad would have positive feedback at home. If Filipinos found themselves being taken more seriously abroad喫f the image were clear and straightforward then much would follow. The misuse of the word Filipino in Europe would evaporate. And at home Filipinos would no doubt work harder to clean up their act, in politics, tourism, investment. Having a good brand is not just good public　relations, it’s about quality and pride in the product and the process.

Lili

September 8th, 2005, 06:22 AM

dancethingy

September 8th, 2005, 07:08 AM

slerz

September 8th, 2005, 08:18 AM

Lili, you are very right. Our country has a lot to offer, so much more than our neighbors, but we don't focus. We just don't focus.

There is reason why our nurses and medical workers are heavily sought after throughout the world. Its because of what we call "lambing." For all these years the country has been searching for its soul, its indentity, its purpose, and its place in Asia. I think now is the time for all those years of searching to finally come together in one booming epiphany.

We are the beach capital of the world
We are very very friendly
We're HOT!
We speak english better than all of them
We are a Latinized people with Asian bloodlines, we are unique
We have kick ass food, but it'll kill you
and We have passion (a special brand of Asian and Latin put together), where else on Earth could you find that!

Our country is the most beautiful, adoring country as if she's a Princess havn't been seen by men.... "A hidden beauty in Asia"... As for me the Philippines is the most underated country in the whole world.
Just an example: Imagine those countries with less beach coastlines like Thailand and a more chaotic country than ours like Indonesia draw more tourists than this country who have beautiful white fine sandy world class beaches all around the archipelago. It means that chaos is not the reason why tourist avoid that particular country. It only means that we're not known yet as a tourist hotspot.
I'm just waiting for our country to become a tourist hotspot in SEA.
Presenting the Philippines in the internet (any site) will be one of a big factor for our tourism industry to prosper coz internet are tourists first prioriy before they travel. When a tourist reads our posts here, maybe he will understand our point and take a more deeper research about our coutry, (not the negative side but ofcourse the positive side) coz they're not after the negative happenings of a particular country where each country has an equal share of negative publicity even much worse than ours. I say we have more tourist spots than those countries.
My point is that we can help promote our country in our little own ways.
Let's be one and let them know, as the fruits of our unity will lead us to our single intention. "WoW PHILIPPINES" :okay: ?

tigidig14

September 8th, 2005, 08:54 AM

^^ no commercialization of pnas to foreign countries even the pnas itself.

marites4

September 9th, 2005, 04:56 AM

richard fischer

September 9th, 2005, 08:19 AM

france beats any country in the world with 90 million tourists per annum, spains follows shortly after that. nevertheless, yes a filipino brand of it´s´own is unique in the SEA region. face the facts, and promote what you have. renovate the churches, lighthouses, intramuros/manila, spanish villas in sugarlandia like in vigan (does air macau still fly to laoag?). promote beuguet (terraces) for truely ancestrial (igorot caves) filipino heritage. start to discover the beauty of muslim musks in mindanao, the charmes of palawans jungles and rocky beach-islands, mayon volcano, taal and others, so many destinct beaches and resorts with dolphin, whale watching, diving etc. you have a whole world to offer the foreigner, who just wants to grasp something different he has not seen, at a good price, some peace from the daily hectic of work, and some smiles and happiness of the wonderful filipino people, build up your infrastructure, make travelling convenient within the islands, make sure travel is safe; and in short time you will have so many tourists, that you will find it hard to find a place for yourself. but the country is so full of hide-outs, i´m sure there will still be vacant islands to flee to, without flocks of nerving tourists all over.......
philpal, still careing for the country
:-)

marites4

September 9th, 2005, 08:24 AM

The thing is the other SE asian countries' govt. know how to play up their tradition and culture , they have good marketing skills .but I bet you as soon as the tourists leave you will see those very same people change into their jeans and eating bigmacs.
those are very good ideas and seem just obvious but I don't know why it's not really at the forefront but as usual here I go with my rant again , they're too busy trying to impeach Gloria.

jbkayaker12

September 9th, 2005, 08:53 AM

I would rather have tourism in the Philippines develop over time and not rushed. We dont even have the infrastructure to deal with the tourists visiting our shores at the present time. Our islands are largely undeveloped and unexplored and that in itself is an attraction for some of the people who have visited our country. I would rather have quality tourists visiting our shores.

dancethingy

September 9th, 2005, 11:23 AM

Gloria WILL NOT BE IMPEACHED OR OUSTED. Those people are freaks, may lightning strike them dead. Sorry to those i offended, i'm speaking from heart not mind.

Anyways, I pose a question to everyone. Is there a province in this country that systematically cleans their beaches of liter everyday? I went to boracay and found some liter on the white sand beach. It may the place a little less palatable, but it wasn't as bad as else where. There is such a lack of innovative management of Philippine beaches. Instead of having little kids beg for money or people disturbing tourists to sell goods, the government should attempt to employ them as beach cleaners.

kiretoce

September 9th, 2005, 10:34 PM

http://images.inq7.net/news/lifestyle/images/2005/aug/28/gibbs-wed30.jpg
To have and to hold, in fine hanbok
By Gibbs Cadiz Inquirer News Service Aug 27, 2005

Sometimes, all it takes is one trip abroad to realize that the Philippines is not as bad as it’s cracked up to be.

In South Korea, for instance, Filipinos suffering from low self-esteem are in for a happy surprise. Not only do many Koreans empathize with ordinary Filipinos’ unending struggles with corruption and political tumult (“We also have dirty people here,” as one travel operator puts it), but they tend to see the Philippines’ robust strengths more than its shortcomings.

Young Koreans continue to come in droves to Philippine schools and universities, believing that our facility with English and Western educational standards is something they can imbibe and bring back home to an economy already ranked as one of the world’s strongest. Korean families on vacation look at the Philippine countryside and see, not the dangerous fiefdoms of petty mandarins, but the beauty and majesty of our natural vistas.

Biggest exhibit

Last year, 378,000 Koreans visited the Philippines, according to the Department of Tourism. And they weren’t just students or family vacationers. Fully a third of that number were newlyweds on their honeymoon—the kind of people the DOT is fixing its sights on with its participation in Weddex Korea 2005, the country’s biggest wedding exhibition held recently in Seoul.

Korea’s wedding market, worth an estimated $1 billion, coalesces under one roof during this twice-a-year event, with more than 250 local and international exhibitors and over 70,000 visitors trooping to the huge Convention and Exhibition Center in downtown Seoul to present their products and services, from top-shelf wedding packages in the world’s most luxurious spots to home fixtures, gifts for in-laws, jewelry, wedding paraphernalia, even limousine services.

It’s the first time for the Philippines to join the fair, and the desire to impress was evident in the booth. Its backdrop was a made-to-scale photo (by George Tapan) of the façade of the centuries-old Laoag Cathedral, the main doorway of which opened to a runway where Filipino models paraded at regular intervals, wearing spectacular bridal creations made of handwoven indigenous materials by designer Nono Palmos.

One of a kind

In terms of design and motif, the Philippine booth was the only one of its kind in the exhibition, thus standing out in a sea of mostly showroom-type setups framed by metal trusses. The emphasis on Philippine culture and traditions was deliberate.

“The Philippines has become the No. 1 honeymoon destination among Koreans,” says Maricon Basco-Ebron, head of DOT’s Team Korea, the group that spearheads the Philippines’ promotional efforts in that country. “We have overtaken Guam and Hawaii, and we want to reinforce our position by presenting the Philippines as a destination for general leisure activities such as the beach, shopping and tours.”

Tradition

Travelling abroad is almost a tradition among Korean newlyweds. Maureen Kim, DOT’s marketing manager in Korea, estimates more than 80 percent of Korean couples pack their bags for foreign places after their wedding. “We just want to take a rest after all the preparations, that’s why we go out,” she says.

In years past, Thailand, Bali, Guam, Saipan and Hawaii were the prime choices. But the Philippines’ proximity to Korea (“We’re just three hours away,” announces a Korean-language DOT brochure), its unparalleled beaches and natural attractions, plus its cheapness compared to, say, Hawaii, has steadily chipped away at the market leaders’ edge. Now, Korean couples see the Philippines as the most practical choice for their post-wedding rest and recreation.

Who can blame them for craving some faraway escape? Preparing for a Korean wedding can be a nerve-wracking experience. At least three months’ preparation is needed for the ceremony, and that’s not even counting the requirement for the groom to buy a house for his bride before the wedding. Living with in-laws is not a prevalent arrangement in Korea. Newlyweds are expected to be on their own, and a house is the single biggest expense a groom has to shoulder.

The bride has her own costly requirements. The first of these is the hanbok, the traditional Korean dress made of silk. A new hanbok costs about 30 million won ($30,000). And because of the intricacies of Korean wedding ceremonies, brides usually order three different outfits—a Western-style wedding gown for the ceremony proper, a hanbok for when the bride is presented by the groom to her in-laws, and then her party wear for the reception.

Good thing the hanbok is not a one-occasion dress, unlike most wedding gowns. “We can also use it for other occasions such as New Year, Thanksgiving (Aug. 15), or special events such as the first birthday of our kids,” says Kim.

Popular gifts

The bride and groom are also expected to give gifts to their in-laws. Aside from the hanbok, the most popular items are pillow-and-blanket sets, the reason why the exhibit had rows and rows of open cupboards displaying bed linen of exquisite colors and designs.

“Old people in our country usually don’t use beds,” explains Kim. “They just lie on the floor, which is especially heated during winter.”

The in-laws also have their traditional gifts to give the bride and groom during the ceremony. They bow to the couple and offer different rice cakes and noodles to symbolize long life, and nuts and dates to wish for many grandchildren. Nuts symbolize boys, and dates girls. Friends and relatives of the couple, meanwhile, are expected to give cash, not presents. And a wedding cake is not a necessary part of the setup. (There was no booth advertising wedding cakes in the exhibit.)

As a penultimate flourish, many Korean couples memorialize their weddings by having a photographer do a stylized portrait of themselves in oversize dimensions. At the exhibit, photo studios vied to have the most romantic, the most whimsical wedding portraits up on their temporary galleries for browsing couples to drool over—and hopefully imitate.

But that is, of course, before they head to the airport for the short, sweet flight to their honeymoon getaway—these days, usually El Nido in Palawan or the Mactan resorts in Cebu.

“We expect some 500,000 Korean visitors this year,” says Basco-Ebron, sounding upbeat. She has reason to. By June, the half-year target has been exceeded by 26 percent. Koreans are in the mood for some big-time lovin’, and the Philippines can only swoon to it.

dancethingy

September 10th, 2005, 12:20 AM

I can't wait to start seeing Filipino-Korean mix babies everywhere, you know how we love to mix.

richard fischer

September 11th, 2005, 12:50 AM

are you going to be the first dancethingy ?

jbkayaker12

September 11th, 2005, 01:44 AM

Anyways, I pose a question to everyone. Is there a province in this country that systematically cleans their beaches of liter everyday? I went to boracay and found some liter on the white sand beach. It may the place a little less palatable, but it wasn't as bad as else where. There is such a lack of innovative management of Philippine beaches. Instead of having little kids beg for money or people disturbing tourists to sell goods, the government should attempt to employ them as beach cleaners.

The beaches that I've visited were clean. I guess you were at the wrong place at the wrong time. :)

Pearl of the Orient Seas - The Philippines (http://community.webshots.com/user/jbkayaker12)

amigo32

September 12th, 2005, 12:48 PM

WOW PHILIPPINES (http://www.wowphilippines.com.ph/news/news2.asp?id=377)

DOT Forsees Russia as Major Contributor to RP's Tourist Arrival from Europe

Monday, September 12, 2005

Tourism Secretary Ace Durano sees Russia as one of the key contributors in attaining the country’s average growth rate target set at 20% annually until end of 2010.

“Russia has become one of the emerging sound market economies with a healthy trade and budget surpluses,“ Durano said. “Russians now have more disposable income, which they spend on international travel. They are the world’s top spender on international tourism with $12billion for the last three years,” he further explained.

Edward Grigoriev, Department of Tourism (DOT)’s market representative in Moscow, reported that the tour industry in Russia demonstrated dynamic growth in the last few years. Its outbound travelers in 2004 has reached to 5,978,000, ranking 10th among the world’s top spenders on international tourism.

South East Asia destinations, which included the Philippines, take a share
of 12% from the total outbound volume from Russia. In recent arrivals
released by the DOT Statistics Division, Russia’s growth rate is at a
remarkable 154.2% average increase from January to July 2005.

Beach & Leisure is one of the segments for Russian travelers who explore with pleasure fine lagoons of Thailand, sea resorts of Indonesia and the island beaches of Malaysia. “With the combination of all the best features of its neighboring country, the Philippines was able to attract almost 5,000 Russian tourists just in the first half of 2005 and is continuously growing,” said Grigoriev.

Serious to get a bigger share from this market, the DOT under its
invitational travel program, has invited 14 Russian tour operators to the
Philippines for a familiarization tour of some of the country’s top
destinations such as Boracay, Bohol, Cebu and El Nido. The DOT views the International Travel Program as the most cost-efficient way of targeting directly Russia’s tourism buyers.

Also part of the group’s itinerary is the participation to the 16th
Philippine Travel Mart (PTM) and the Philippine Travel Exchange (PHITEX). PTM is the country’s most extensive travel and trade fair, while PHITEX is a tourism-cum-business forum that aims to generate maximum exposure for Philippine destinations in its key target markets.

Durano added that the group’s familiarization trip to Manila is organized by the DOT Team Europe to coincide with the travel and tourism trade fairs that are slated to take place in the country. Promotion of the Philippines during this period is also timely since winter season is approaching in Russia.

“The long winter in Russia is another good reason to penetrate the said
market and encourage them to come and experience our warm tropical country,” added Durano.

dancethingy

September 12th, 2005, 04:37 PM

jbkayaker12

September 12th, 2005, 08:45 PM

Well JB, if we want to be THE "beach capital of the world" there shouldn't be a "wrong place and wrong time" when going to a beach and seeing it littered with trash.

Anyways, there are so many people on the beaches of our country selling odds and ends to tourists, can't the government hire them to pick up trash. At least they have a paid job and it keeps our beaches clean at the same time.

You know how we have the MMDA, we should have BDA or whatever type of beach development authority.

I dont know when you were in Boracay or wherever you went but when I was in Boracay the beaches were cleaned daily by the respective resort owners and by the local government on a weekly basis. I went to a beach resort in Batangas and the beach was also clean. The resort owner made sure the beach is cleared of any thrash twice daily. In other words I went to a clean beach daily on both places. One a touristy area the other a laid back resort.

Who wants us to be the beach capital of Asia anyway? Not that it's bad. If that is the case then people living near our shores should get their head out of their asses and realise that thrashing our surroundings is not good for the environment. :)

By the way sometimes during a windy day or during and after a typhoon you will normally see debris littering the beaches, not that it's an excuse for locals not to clean their beaches but there is such a thing as being at the wrong place at the wrong time. :)

Lili

September 12th, 2005, 10:19 PM

Based on the above, it made me think and ask: Is eco-tourism killing our traditional fishing villages? Is it good or bad for the country?

bustero

September 13th, 2005, 05:07 AM

traditional fishing villages or rice villages etc are a point in development situation. As a country progresses more choices are opened up to the young through education, communication etc. Ecotourism is only one among many devolopments. If it makes the area rich eventually it will kill the traditional fishing village. Of course the traditinal fishing village is more a romantic notion in general, as can be seen in the rice terraces, tourism has brought relative prosperity to the are educating another generation who now prefer to work in call centers in the city so they can buy more load to text one another. The fishing village of general santos is another interesting case, though not ecotourism, increasing prosperity with the drive to increase productivity has changed the landscape through time. There are cultural issues at stake in the end though no matter what many NGO organizations say, most folk want progress if not for them , for their children hence , ecotourism or not, as long as the Philippines progresses the traditional fishing village will lessen.

Lili

September 13th, 2005, 05:44 AM

So at some point, traditional modes of living, in whatever form they may be, will be transplanted by more modern ways.

Probably, even indigenous communities like the aetas, the mangyans, the lumads, etc. will soon cease to exist with distinct ethno-cultural identities but will be acculturated to modern ways and assimilated into the general masscult. The igorots for example have become indistinguishable from the general "masa" unless they are asserting land rights in Benguet and the Mountain Province. I just read that the Philippines just had the first Aeta barrister/lawyer.

kiretoce

September 15th, 2005, 06:35 PM

Philippine tourism to benefit from Gulf Air’s new route

Philippine tourism is expected to get a big boost from Gulf Air once the airline commences new service to Dublin, Ireland and Johannesburg, South Africa, two emerging tourist markets.

Roberto Hukom, Gulf Air country manager, said regular flights from Johannesburg and Dublin to Bahrain will provide excellent connectivity to Manila, thus serving travelers from these countries to the Philippines.

Irish and South African tourists are expected to visit the Philippines and other leisure destinations in the region once the new flights are started on Dec. 2 this year, Hukom said.

The new flights will likewise service Filipino nurses and contract workers as well as businessmen going to Ireland and South Africa. South Africa also offers a huge variety of locations and activities to tourists from the Philippines.

Gulf Air will recommence the non-stop flights between Bahrain and Johannesburg after an absence of more than eight years.

Besides Manila, flights from Johannesburg to Bahrain will connect to other destinations in Gulf Air’s extensive network.

On the other hand, travelers can take their flights from the Philippines to Dublin passing through Bahrain and vice versa.

"The non-stop flights (from Dublin) will allow direct travel to the Kingdom of Bahrain and onward connections to more than 40 cities in the Middle East, Africa, the Far East and Australia," said James Hogan, president and chief executive of Gulf Air.

The non-stop flights remove the need for Irish travelers to transit through London or other European hubs.

"Our service (to Dublin and Johannesburg) is better for business, with just eight seats in first class and only 24 in business. They are wider, more comfortable, more private, more convenient and more spacious than those offered by any other airline," Hogan said.

He added that the trip is also fantastic for leisure travelers, connecting them to key leisure destinations such as Oman, Dubai, India, Bangkok, Sydney and other Asian cities like Manila.

Gulf Air passengers are offered the opportunity to experience state-of-the-art sky beds in the first and business classes, five-star chefs preparing and serving food in first-class, and sky nannies looking after young travelers in all classes.

Gulf Air introduced its qualified "five-star" chefs onboard flights in 2002 to provide first-class passengers with the choice, quality and individual attention associated with five-star hotels and international standard fine dining restaurants.

The sky nanny has become popular, specially among families traveling long haul. Each nanny is a fully qualified member of the in-flight service team, dedicated to delivering specialist care for children up to the age of 12, traveling with their parents, or as unaccompanied minors.

stephencua

September 19th, 2005, 03:43 AM

taken from philstar.com...

Wow! The tourists are back!
PHILEQUITY CORNER By Ignacio B. Gimenez
The Philippine Star 09/19/2005

So many people are traveling around the Philippines these days. The planes are always full. Tourists are all around – in the shopping & entertainment centers here in Manila, in the beaches/resorts spread over the islands and in various cultural/heritage spots in the country.

The Department of Tourism (DOT) recently announced that tourist arrivals reached 1.52 million during the period of January to July 2005. We expect this number to reach a record 2.65 million by year end, a 15.7-percent increase from last year. This should mark the first time since 1996 (pre-Asian crisis) that the tourist arrivals will register two consecutive years of positive growth.

Credit this to DOT’s WOW! The BEST of the Philippines and Tara Na! Biyahe Tayo! ad campaigns shown in international channels like CNN and BBC. The media exposure has attracted not only the foreign tourists but the balikbayans as well to rediscover their place of origin.

In addition, the DOT’s strategy of prioritizing Japan, China and South Korea – which are high potential/tourist generating countries – is proving to be successful. In the period January to July 2005, tourists coming from China grew 142 percent while those coming from Korea increased by 29.5 percent.

Europe is another area that the DOT can focus on. This region grew the fastest during the period of January to July 2005, increasing by 17.9 percent.

Since European tourists account for only 10 percent of the total visitors in the Philippines we see huge potentials for this market. In contrast, European tourists account for 23 percent of Thailand’s visitors and 15 percent of Indonesia’s.

The Philippines can also take advantage of the tourists looking for alternatives to Thailand and Indonesia which are still recovering from the tsunami devastation.

Incidentally, DOT announced that it is targeting Russia whose recent economic boom has resulted in increased disposable income per capita. The agency recently invited Russian tour operators and media representatives for a familiarization tour of the Philippines.

Note that visitors from Russia grew by 154.2 percent during the period from January to July 2005 prompting Russia’s Transaero Airlines to express its interest to open flights between Moscow and Manila.
Room For Improvement
Infrastructure problems have long been a major hindrance in the development of the tourism industry. Recently, however, the establishment of the Nautical Highway (RO-RO) has spurred domestic tourism as well. With more than 10 million Filipinos traveling around the country every year, domestic tourism has been a stable source of tourism spending.

Another issue of special importance is the NAIA 3 opening. The opening of this long-delayed project will be a showcase for the Philippines. It should jumpstart the government’s bid to accelerate travel and tourism in the country.

Since I travel around the country regularly, I also see a lot of improvements that could be done especially in handling the boarding process. One case in point is during the payment of the P200 airport tax. After lining up for check-in and getting the boarding pass, everyone has to line up again (in another booth) to pay for the airport tax. This is an extra step which the government can do away. HOW?
Assign The Tax Collection To The Airlines Carriers
For example, the airline carriers can collect this airport tax during ticketing. The passengers will then receive a coupon signifying their payment of the tax. Once in the airport terminal, all the government representative has to do is to collect coupons from boarding passengers. Afterwards, the government collects payment from the airline carriers after accounting for the coupons surrendered by the passengers. Coding and scanning technology are readily available if one is concerned about checks and balance.

The future of tourism in the Philippines appears bright. Its potential contributions to economic growth and development are huge. This year alone, the industry is expected to directly generate $2.34 billion worth of economic activity and account for 916,000 jobs or three percent of total employment. Given the vital importance of tourism on the economy, it is imperative that the government exert every effort to constantly improve on it – be it on marketing and promotions, infrastructure development or even as simple as streamlining the boarding process.

wecky

September 19th, 2005, 01:16 PM

wow .. do you think we can reach the 2.5 million (?) target this year?

dancethingy

September 19th, 2005, 06:59 PM

I think we can surpass it. My mom, 2 bros, 5 friends (all puti) are coming to philippines this Dec. That should help.

KulasKusgan

September 20th, 2005, 01:42 AM

Im inviting everyone to witness the staging of "Wow Davao" in Intramuros. The 20-day event started Sept 15 and will run until Oct 4, 2005.

richard fischer

September 21st, 2005, 07:17 AM

thats the spirit dancethingy ! SHOW EVERYONE HOW MAGANDA THE COUNTRY IS ! i try hard here in europe, but thailand and malaysia are closer, cheaper to access, and less in arriving time too. and their advertisements are much more effective.

dancethingy

September 21st, 2005, 07:22 AM

Thailand doesn't hold a candle next to our beautiful islands, no dis intended towards thais. My Doc was thai, she was a riot.

xDieselJockx

September 21st, 2005, 11:33 PM

Thailand doesn't hold a candle next to our beautiful islands, no dis intended towards thais. My Doc was thai, she was a riot.

So, what is your thai doc whom "is a riot" as you claimed earlier has to do with tourism and beautiful Islands in thailand? LOL

xDieselJockx

September 21st, 2005, 11:36 PM

Sorry, I didn't mean to sound like a jerk there. Was just having a good time, it ended up sounding like a cheap shot...

Lili

September 22nd, 2005, 12:09 AM

It happens. I should know.

Skyblade

September 22nd, 2005, 07:08 AM

As for an increase in tourists coming from Russia, it looks like it's going to be supported greatly with the possiblity of service from Transaero Airlines.

Moving on to the articles:

National Tourism Week: Travel and Transport

Link to the article (http://news.search.yahoo.com/search/news?p=philippine+tourism&sm=Yahoo%21+Search&fr=FP-tab-news-t&toggle=1&cop=&ei=UTF-8)

THE importance of tourism to the Philippine economy cannot be underestimated. It remains one of the country’s major hopes in the new economic order and is now one of the country’s foreign exchange earners, contributing to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Because the country boasts of a hospitable and friendly people, year-round sunshine and pristine beaches, readily available transport systems to various destinations, and a diversity of tourist attractions, including ethnic, cultural, adventure, wildlife, and economic opportunities, it has made it possible for the government to give attention to environmental and cultural preservation and to monitor aspects of the tourist trade which need improvement.

National Tourism Week 2005 provides an ideal opportunity to mobilize the population to play more active role in matters pertaining to the industry. It is a day in which we can focus on our many strengths, our shared sense of purpose and hopes for the future, on the many wonderful resources and historical places which our country is gifted with, and on the diverse faces and experiences that collectively make up our soul as a nation. It is also a time to encourage all Filipinos who have not yet seen parts of the country to travel and discover the beauty of the land of their birth and to enjoy the sights and products offered by the different regions.

This year’s theme "Travel and Transport’’ emphasizes the importance of a good transport system for traveling around the islands. Among the activities that have been scheduled for the event are museum tours, a tourism quiz bee contest in the regions, an inter-school videoke singing contest which will highlight the Filipinos’ innate love for music, and travel showcase promotions which will be held in shopping malls and which will feature destinations of prime interest to tourists.

Making the Philippines attractive to foreign visitors requires the collaboration of all sectors of the tourism industry. As we celebrate National Tourism Week, it will need their full cooperation to make a trip to the Philippines by a tourist not just a vacation or a balm for the soul, but an event where pleasant sights, sounds, and experiences will forever be embedded in the memories of those who come to visit, enough for them to be the best advertisers of a land known the world over as the Pearl of the Orient Seas.

-----

Culinary tour of Quezon

Link to the article (http://www.malaya.com.ph/sep22/trav1.htm)

As part of the Department of Tourism (DOT)’s Cultural Tourism Program, this endeavor aims to make Philippine flavors known to the domestic and international scene and promote the country as a prime culinary destination.

Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano pronounce, "We launched this campaign to tell the world that the Philippines has got more to present. Aside form our beaches and other tourist spots; we also have fine cuisine to cater to everyone."

Now up for sale are tour packages created and developed by DOT’s Office of Product Research and Development (OPRD) and local handler from Quezon Tina Decal. "The improvement of the Quezon Culinary Tour intends to further diversify the tourism products of the province. This can be recommended to Manila-based corporations, embassies, and government agencies for their events and short cultural experiences for company guests or visiting dignitaries," explained Durano.

Kulinarya Filipina tour kicks off with a breakfast at La Dona Ana Restaurant. Presented to the vacationers are cooking demonstrations on Lucban’s native dishes such as the Pancit Habhab, a pancit eaten straight from a banana leaf with a dash of vinegar to taste; the Lucban Longganisa, a popular local sausage; the Kiping, which is both a delicacy and an ornament used to decorate houses for Pahiyas Festival; and the local ladyfingers Broas.

Town circuit follows where visitors are toured around Lucban, particularly at stores selling native products like buri, kiping, pastries, among other foodstuff.

Lunch is served at the Kamayan sa Palaisdaan, a restaurant popular for its Filipino dishes best savored on floating cottages, and located along the boundary of Lucban and Tayabas.

The culinary trip then proceeds to Sariaya for the guests to witness and enjoy how fresh buko is traditionally harvested in Quezon through "Pagmumura" activity.

Also part of the itinerary is a tour of the historical ancestral house of Dona Carmen Rodriguez-Arguelles. A Pandanggo-Awit ritual follows, where visitors are set to experience a tradition that features lambanog, a local vodka-like coconut drink and is one of the district’s most famous products. An optional stop is at Earthkeeper’s Garden for shopping of plants, suman, and other delicacies.

To culminate the Kulinarya Filipina trip, tourists will be bought to Ugu’s Pottery and Garden. Ugu Bigyan is an admired artist, who produces world-class pottery products. His beautifully landscaped garden is well visited by local and foreign travelers. The artist-cum-chef has his own concoction of kulawo, made up of heart of banana, grated coconut, garlic, onion and vinegar or juice of green mango, a dash of salt and vinegar to taste, dished up together with pinaltok, a sticky rice with shredded coconut, white sugar, and pandan leaves are some of his specialties he serves to his guests.

For more information about Kulinarya Filipina, you may contact the DOT’s OPRD at telephone number 526 7545 or email DOT_prd@yahoo.com.

dancethingy

September 22nd, 2005, 07:45 AM

There's gonna be some serious chi-town ass whoopin when i c u. Joke.

dancethingy

September 22nd, 2005, 07:48 AM

Durano is very good, he's covering everything. I think very few people abroad could recognize Filipino cuisine. It needs serious marketing.

Lili

September 22nd, 2005, 10:25 PM

Hey! I'd like to go to that Kulinarya Filipina Tour! They should have it all over the Philippines. Quezon is a good start off point. Then they could have one in Pampangga, Iloilo, Cebu, Davao, Bicol, etc. Those places with distinctive cooking style and delicacies. The late gourmand Doreen Fernandez used to conduct these Lasa Filipino tours which were quite popular. It's good that the Department of Tourism launched this culinary tour as a cultural tourism program.

stephencua

September 23rd, 2005, 03:12 AM

taken from philstar.com...

DOT steps up drive to lure Japanese tourists
By Rocel C. Felix
The Philippine Star 09/23/2005

NAGOYA, Japan – The Philippines’ participation in the World Expo 2005 in Aichi is boosting the Department of Tourism’s (DOT) efforts to bring in more Japanese tourists to premiere island destinations in the Philippines.

Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano said the country’s participation in the World Expo, which will end this Sunday, has generated a lot of confirmed bookings this year to the Philippines.

"We are confident that we can exceed last year’s visitor arrivals from about 382,000 in 2004 to at least 400,000 in 2005. We already posted an eight percent increase in arrivals in the first six months," noted Durano.

During the course of the World Expo, the DOT team in Japan has been wooing Japan’s corporate leisure market such as car manufacturer Toyota Motor and consumer electronics giant Samsung in South Korea to make the Philippines the choice vacation destination of their respective companies’ top-level executives and employees.

"We want this market which is largely untapped. This market is lucrative and reliable because they have the money to spend," said Durano.

In trying to get a bigger share of Japanese tourists, the DOT, according to Durano is focusing on marketing the Philippines as a choice destination for discriminating Japanese travelers.

Since there is enough tough competition from ASEAN neighbors like Thailand and Indonesia, the Philippines is veering away from these market which offers very low and attractive packages. Indonesia and Thailand mostly attract the budget-conscious European and American tourists.

"Since the Philippines still has limited capacities in terms of accommodations and other amenities, we want instead to focus on the corporate leisure market in Japan and other segments that are not too price conscious, but are looking for destinations that offer alternative attractions," said Durano.

Japan is one of the three priority markets of the DOT, aside from China and Korea, for attracting inbound visitors to the Philippines, since Japan is the country’s largest source of market for tourist arrivals, next to the United States.

"The corporate leisure market is a year-round market and this assures our local tourism trade of visitors even during the off-peak or lean months. At the same time, we are able to maximize the tourism industry’s existing capacity and get the quality tourists who have the money to spend," said Durano.

Durano said he expects Japanese tourist arrivals in the Philippines to reach one million by 2008.

He said that to achieve the government’s target, tourist arrivals from Japan will have to increase by at least 25 percent until 2008. Last year, Japanese tourist arrivals totaled 382,000, up 18.4 percent from 2003.

He noted that from 1990 to 2000, Japanese tourists in the Philippines posted an average increase of 5.8 percent and in 2004,went up by a significant 18.4 percent, the highest percentage increase in Japanese arrivals to the country in more than 20 years.

To capture a bigger share of the Japanese market, the DOT and its marketing arm, the Philippine Convention and Visitors Corp. (PCVC) led by its deputy executive director Rosvi C. Gaetos, are implementing an integrated marketing plan that will not only focus on the traditionally male market, but will also tap the growing 30s to 50s female market.

DOT also hired a Japanese public relations agency early this year to launch its "Premium Resort Islands" or "Koko Doko" which ensured wider exposure in Japanese print and television media.

Skyblade

September 23rd, 2005, 08:44 PM

PTAA 5th GMM beefs up local travel
Link to the article (http://www.mb.com.ph/TOUR2005092345176.html#)

By ARLENE DABU-FOZ

The Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA) held its 5th General Membership Meeting (GMM) yesterday at the Intercontinental Hotel in Makati City. The GMM gathered together the country’s top travel and trade personalities, key players, movers and frontliners with Tourism Undersecretary Oscar Palabyab as the keynote speaker.

PTAA is composed of 433 members representing various travel and trade-related firms that strongly advocate the dynamic growth of RP tourism, particularly inbound travel.

The GMM showcased the "9th Lakbay Pilipinas", a mini travel mart featuring the country’s top local airlines, hotels, resorts and other establishments along with their enticing budget-friendly tour packages to pitch inbound travel.

The Lakbay Pilipinas coincides with the Department of Tourism’s (DoT) celebration of the National Tourism Week this month, which is an apt period to show and sell various Philippine travel products.

Sponsored by Cebu Pacific as airline of the month, the PTAA meet, thru Lakbay Pilipinas presented the best of the country’s top destinations such as Boracay, Cebu City, Subic, Clarkfield, Baguio City, Banaue, Bohol, Davao City, Palawan, Tagaytay, among others.

Some of the exhibitors include Annset Holidays, Asian Spirit Airline, Boracay Regency Beach Resort, Cencorp Travel & Tours, Crimson2day Travel & Tours, Costa Aguada Resort, Eidref Tours & Travel, El Nido Resorts, Frontline 8 Travel, Fuego Hotels and Properties Management, International Travel Exchange Inc., Maribago Bluewater Beach Resort, Patio Pacific, Puerto del Sol Beach, Rajah Tour Phils., Resort Tours and Travel Corp., South East Asian Airlines (SEAAIR), Sun Cruises, Travelpros Inc., TRIPS Travel, Winlink Travel Service, among others.

amigo32

September 24th, 2005, 12:48 AM

WOW Philippines (http://www.wowphilippines.com.ph/news/news2.asp?id=381)

DOT Joins the Otdykh Leisure Trade Fair 2005 in Russia

Friday, September 23, 2005

Bullish to get a greater share of the out-bound tourists from Russia, the
Department of Tourism (DOT) has sent a marketing team to represent the Philippines in the ongoing 11th Otdykh-Leisure International Autumn Trade Fair in Russia, which officially opened last September 21, 2005.

Leisure Otdykh, which is participated in by 930 exhibitors, is the largest
international autumn trade fair for tourism in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). It is the best platform to arrange business, as far as these European nations are concerned.

Tourism Secretary Ace Durano said, “Russia has now become one of our
emerging global markets, and joining this trade fair is a good channel for
us to strengthen our promotions for the Russian travelers.”

Headed by Tourism Assistant Secretary for Planning and Promotions Eduardo Jarque, Jr., together with local tour operators and media representatives, the DOT contingent is set to meet with direct buyers during the four-day sales blitz.

The travel and trade show features the entire tourism products * from city
tours, winter holidays, winter-sun and long distance destinations, to
adventure and safari tours, wellness and educational holidays.
With a total population of 27.8 million, the Russian Federation and the CIS are among the most promising markets in Europe.

“Them, being the world’s top spender on international tourism, it is but
appropriate for us to involve ourselves in the Leisure Otdykh Trade Fair to create a niche for Philippine tourism in their country. Russians have been consistently registering 19 million outbound travelers per year, mainly due to pent-up demand after 70 years of travel restriction,” explained Durano.

Moreover, according to the recent official statistics of the DOT, an average increase of 154.2% in growth rate has been registered by Russian visitor arrivals in the Philippines since January of this year.
“The long winter in Russia is another good reason for us to intensify our
campaigns. With our tropical climate, they will be enticed to travel here in the Islands and for them experience spending our holiday season,” Secretary Durano asserted.

Meanwhile, international airlines such as Emirates, Qatar, and Korean have also been valuable in improving Philippines’ operations. The companies are now launching their flights to Russia, which will certainly bring new opportunities for Philippine tourism in terms of accessibility.

Qatar Airways sponsored the Philippine delegation to the Leisure Otdykh
2005.

Sinjin P.

September 24th, 2005, 06:03 AM

WOW Philippines!
WOW Ace Durano!

kiretoce

September 26th, 2005, 07:11 PM

Japan picks Bohol as 2006 destination

More Japanese tourists will be visiting the province starting next year after Bohol was chosen as the 2006 island destination in the country by the Japan-Philippine Tourism Council (JPTC) during a conference held with Bohol tourism industry players at the Big Sight, where the JATA World Tourism Congress and the 2005 JATA World Travel Fair wrapped up yesterday.

JPTC president Shogui Tineswari said Bohol is an ideal destination for Japanese tourists who want to relax in white sandy beaches and see for themselves eco-tourism sites the province can offer. He said Japan-based tour wholesalers JTB and Discovery Tours will revved up the sending of tourists to the province.

The JPTC met with Bohol resort and tour operators during a conference held at the Higashi I conference room at the Big Sight, the site of the three-day global travel fair.

Gov. Erico Aumentado personally led the 11-strong Bohol delegation who held sales presentations complete with audio-video clips and colorful brochures and flyers printed and voiced in Japanese.

Aumentado said Bohol brought the biggest delegation to the world travel fair.

He said the Japanese counterparts, including Department of Tourism Secretary Ace Durano, Philippine Tourism Authority General Manager Dean Robert Barbers, have been impressed with Bohol’s efforts.

The JPTC assured that Japanese tourists arrivals next year will be doubled, especially those arriving at the Mactan International Airport, with Bohol as the target distination.

The Bohol delegation was welcomed by Ambassador Domingo Siazon Jr. and DOT Tokyo attaché Benito Bengzon Jr.

The twin activity of the delegation was coordinated by the Philippine Convention and Visitors Corp (PCVC) under Rosario Virginia Gaetos.

Oriental Negros Gov. George Arnaiz and Regional Tourism Council (RTC) chair Mariant Villegas joined the delegation to observe how Bohol carved its niche in the world tourism map.

DOT Regional Director Dawnie Roa escorted the delegation, together with some tour and resort operators from Cebu.

“I closely observed Japan’s tourism activities and trends at both events so that we can learn how to better promote Bohol as a prime destination,” Aumentado said.

In promoting Bohol, the delegation noted the high demand for a golf course in the province since it is expensive for the Japanese to play golf in Japan.

Aumentado told the tour honchos of Japan that going to Dumaguete City on a day-trip, and play golf there can still make their Bohol stay complete.

However, the white sandy beaches have lured the Japanese market, Aumentado said.

Prior the Tokyo sales presentation, the group also conducted a separate sales blitz in Nagoya , Japan.

Tour operators in Japan had a fruitful meeting with Bohol’s delegation composed of Panglao Mayor Doloreich Dumaluan, Reginald Ong of Panglao Island Nature Resort (PINR), Francisco Montero of Alona Tropical, Reichel and Reichard Dumaluan of Dumaluan Beach Resort, Zarah Dejaresco and Carmelita Dejaresco-Amora of Angel’s Wings Tours & Travel, Rosario Soy of Asahi Kanko Tours, Hermes and Roche Caseñas of Baclayon Travel & Tours, Nonette Bolo of Dagohoy World Travel, and Walter and Lourdes Sultan of Travel Village.

amigo32

September 29th, 2005, 09:42 PM

Manila Bulletin (http://www.mb.com.ph/TOUR2005093045642.html)
The Russians are coming
By JASER A. MARASIGAN

After the Chinese, Koreans and Japanese, the Department of Tourism (DoT) is now turning on the Russian tourists in its bid to resuscitate the country’s tourism industry. According to DoT Secretary Joseph Ace Durano, Russia is the latest addition to DoT’s priority markets.

Bullish to get a greater share of the outbound tourists from Russia, the DoT recently sent a marketing team to represent the Philippines in the 11th Otdykh Leisure International Autumn Trade Fair. The team, headed by Tourism Assistant Secretary for Planning and Promotions Eduardo Jarque, Jr., was joined by local tour operators and media representatives, during the sales blitz.

With an approximately 1.5 percent of 150 million Russians traveling abroad, based on the figures by the Russian Federal Tourism Agency, the Russian Federation and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) have become among the most promising markets in Europe.

Durano said, "Russia is now one of our emerging global markets, and joining this trade fair is a good channel for us to strengthen our promotions for the Russian travelers."

Leisure Otdykh, which was participated in by 930 exhibitors, is the largest international autumn trade fair for tourism in Russia and CIS. It is the best platform to arrange business, as far as these European nations are concerned.

The travel and trade show featured the entire tourism products * from city tours, winter holidays, winter-sun and long distance destinations, to adventure and safari tours, wellness and educational holidays.

"Them, being the world’s top spender on international tourism, it is but appropriate for us to involve ourselves in the Leisure Otdykh Trade Fair to create a niche for Philippine tourism in their country. The increase in Russian outbound travelers was due mainly, to pentup demand after 70 years of travel restriction," explained Durano.

Moreover, according to the recent official statistics of the DoT, an average increase of 154.2 percent in growth rate has been registered by Russian visitor arrivals in the Philippines since January of this year.

Between January and July 2005, Russia and the CIS led all markets in terms of comparative percentage growth, with the number of tourists rising by 154 percent from the same period in 2004, comfortably ahead of China, one of the fastest growing markets in recent years. This represents more than 5,370 tourists from the former Soviet Union in the given period, which effectively breaks two records: It has eclipsed the previous all-time record of 3,945 in the total number of arrivals from the CIS in a 12-month period set in 1998; and has exceeded the DoT’s own rosy projections for this year just a little past the half-year mark.

Comparatively, there have been more tourists to the Philippines from Russia in 2005 than tourists from the more mature markets of Spain, New Zealand, Austria and Belgium.

The Philippines was also a hit in the Spa and Health Moscow 2005, the first International Workshop and Conference for Health Tourism, Resorts and Spa, an auxiliary event to the 11th Otdykh Fair. The other participants were from Germany, Italy, Austria, Czech Republic, Bulgaria and Anapa in southern Russia.

Dr. Galvez Tan, who is vice chancellor of Research at the University of the Philippines in Manila, was the only specialist invited from Asia and thus elicited a lot of interest from paying seminar guests who were hearing about Filipino or even Asian healing modalities for the first time. He spoke of seven indigenous healing treatments based on ‘hilot’.

Meanwhile, according to the latest available data by the Russian Association of Travel Agencies, the top markets for outbound Russian tourists in the first half of 2004 are Turkey (505,064), China (390,299), and Egypt (307,411). In Southeast Asia, Thailand is the far and away leader.

Qatar Airways sponsored the Philippine delegation to the Leisure Otdykh 2005.

Skyblade

September 30th, 2005, 08:47 PM

For those that have a MySpace, I have a group dedicated to Philippine tourism called Travel Philippines. (http://groups.myspace.com/travelphilippines) I'd appreciate it if some SSC members can join. :D

Gov’t urged to promote health tourism

By JENNY F. MANONGDO

The government should focus on positioning the image of the country as a medical hub to solve the financial crisis as well as address the problem of the medical profession today, economics professors said yesterday.

Prof. Maria Cherry Lyn S. Rodolfo of the University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) said that "we should emulate our Asian counterparts in their aggressiveness in promoting their medical services to the international community." "This move," she said, "would generate more revenues for the improvement of our health care needs."

The World Tourism Organization (WTO) defines health tourism as services related to medical care, sickness and well-being, and rehabilitation and recuperation. These services include spas, healthy lifestyle vacations, nature tourism, eye surgery, dialysis, and elderly care programs.

"The usual reason why a person seeks medical treatment abroad is to avoid the high cost of medical care services in his own country. Health tourism in Asia is becoming popular because of the cost advantage that it can offer to international patient," Rodolfo said.

Rodolfo cited Thailand, India, Singapore, and Malaysia as the top destinations in Asia for health tourism.

Reports said that cataract surgery in the Philippines is much cheaper at $1,424 as compared to Singapore which is $1,749. Liposuction here costs an average of $1,400 while it costs $1,711 in Malaysia.

According to reports, Thailand is visited by at least 800,000 foreign patients in 2003 and was able to generate $470 million in revenues. The major markets of Thailand include the Japanese, Americans, and the British.

Singapore was able to treat 150,000 foreign patients in 2000 and was able to earn $915 million.

Meanwhile, Prof. Stan Padojinog said that in order to be recognized as a medical destination, hospitals here need to secure an accreditation from the Joint Commission on International Accreditation (JCIA).

The St. Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City is so far the only medical institution accredited by the JCIA.

The Departments of Health and Tourism are now working to develop the health tourism industry. Linkages pertinent to the industry are available and should be developed in order to achieve the target. These linkages include hotels and tourist facilities and destination, travel agencies, government agencies, clinics and hospitals, and telecommunications and IT industry.

A number of private organizations had began promoting beauty and wellness procedures in the Philippines. These include the Belo Medical Group and Ricky Reyes who are also the country’s key figures in cosmetic procedures.

However, the country is now facing a crisis due to the shortage of medical professionals due to their preference to work abroad.

Rodolfo said that "health tourism can actually help make our professionals stay in the country because we would be attracting foreign patients." "This would help us to generate more jobs and income as well as upgrade infrastructures."

xDieselJockx

October 1st, 2005, 10:53 PM

amigo32, great news but in my own opinion, I think the Philippines need to start thinking of other ways to improve health care industry, promote and augment tourism other that what other programs in other neighboring asian countries are already doing just to improve the Philippines' sagging economy. It's like everything is being copied here and there. It may have worked somehow but it's not enough to get the whole economy move forward.

Lili

October 2nd, 2005, 04:37 AM

bustero

October 3rd, 2005, 05:07 AM

Good for us but late lang nga, I understand Malaysia and Thailand are again far ahead of us in spite of the fact that we have more healthworkers! Oh well, better late than never.

Skyblade

October 4th, 2005, 06:06 AM

@Skyblade: Eureka! Just as we have been discussing in the threads before, the Departments of Health and Tourism are now preparing the health tourism program. I think it is a worthwhile endeavor. It addresses several concerns such as promotion of tourism in the Philippines, bringing in much needed revenues, solving the brain drain in the health industry, providing more jobs, promoting family unification by attracting aging emigrants to return to the Philippines and bringing their wealth with them as well as preventing separation of family units when a family member has to leave for abroad to work, and upgrading the health industry in the Philippines, among others.

Just to add to the progress of this program, there's also been a program in the American Academy of Family Medicine that offers medical conferences in the Philippines. The primary attendees are registered nurses but this program also attract other health professionals. Though these attendees are primary Filipinos now residing abroad, through these people, there's always the opportunity for them to encourage fellow professionals to come to the Philippines vacation there as well as learning any new developments in the medical profession. Thanks to this program, my mom had a really good reason to take us and our relatives up to Boracay. :D More info can be found here. (http://www.aafm.com/index.html)

Moving on to the articles. m))

Foreign travel execs coming
By Cherry T. Lim
Link to the article (http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/ceb/2002/10/23/bus/foreign.travel.execs.coming.html)

INTERNATIONAL tourism players are expected to visit Cebu next month. Felix Christopher Alegre III, president of the Philippine Tour Operators Association (Philtoa), said he would be bringing some 60 foreign tourism players to Cebu and Bohol on Nov. 19 and 20.

This is in line with the 13th Philippine Travel Mart to be held at the SM Megatrade Halls in Mandaluyong on Nov. 22 to 24.

Alliances

Philtoa has alliances with travel associations in New York and other foreign cities. It is the members of these alliances who will be coming over to check out Cebu and Bohol next month, Alegre said.

Provincial Board Member Ina Asirit, chairperson of the committee on tourism and international affairs, said the Province of Cebu would participate in the Travel Mart.

“The Province of Cebu is one with the DOT (Department of Tourism) in putting up a booth for the Province of Cebu with private stakeholders,” she said during the Kapihan sa Turismo at Cebu Plaza Hotel last Thursday.

All in all, the province of Cebu will have five booths, she said.

At last year’s event, the Philippine Travel Mart attracted some 181,000 visitors and 42,000 corporate and foreign buyers, Alegre said.

Negros Occidental was the biggest winner last year, with sales of P20 million.

This year, the number of booths will be expanded to 380 booths from last year’s 340 booths, and there will be 150 participants.

New venue

Patrick Gregorio, chairman of the Cebu Visitors Convention Bureau, then asked Alegre to consider holding the next Philippine Travel Mart in Cebu.

“For 14 years, the Philippine Travel Mart has been held in Manila,” he said.
Cebu will have its own travel mart early next year, however.

Marisol Barria, president of the Cebu Association of Tour Operators (Cato), announced that the Cato, Cebu Travel and Tours Association and the Department of Tourism 7, together with local hotels, operators, restaurants and resorts, had scheduled their own Travel Mart at SM City Cebu on Jan. 24-26.

Lili

October 4th, 2005, 06:21 AM

^^ Great initiatives and innovative approaches to packaging the Philippines as a conference destination. Thanks for the info @Skyblade.

Skyblade

October 4th, 2005, 07:05 AM

^^ Great initiatives and innovative approaches to packaging the Philippines as a conference destination. Thanks for the info @Skyblade.
No problem. :)

Here's another article to add in the latest hopes of attracting Russian tourists:
RP wins top award in Russia leisure fair
Link to the article (http://www.mb.com.ph/TOUR2005100445936.html)

By RACHEL C. BARAWID

The Philippine Department of Tourism (DoT) bagged one of the biggest marketing awards, besting about a thousand exhibitors at the 11th Otdykh Leisure Fair 2005, the largest international autumn trade fair for tourism in Russia held recently.

The DoT, headed by Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano, was cited for its aggressive and focused marketing campaign in Russia. The campaign includes attractive winter season tours, participation in travel fairs, exposures in trade publications, advertising, familiarization trips for Russian tour operators and the media.

According to Vladimir I. Strzhalkovsky, head of the Federal Tourism Agency of the Russian Federation, the DoT has been "actively promoting the tourism products of the Philippines to the Russian market."

This is the second award garnered by the Department since its participation in the travel fair. In 2004, DoT won the "Best Newcomer of the Year Award."

"Although our marketing campaign began only last year, I am glad that our efforts were immediately recognized and reaped such a big reward. Through this distinction, we hope to be able to generate more awareness of the Philippines as a viable tourist destination among the Russians," Durano said.

The Philippine delegation led by DoT Assistant Secretary for Planning and Promotions Eduardo Jarque was composed of government officials led by Rep. Edgar Chatto, chair of the House Committee on Tourism; tourism officials headed by Edward Grigoriev; DoT marketing and promotions representative in Russia; leaders from the travel trade and the media.

The DoT’s presentation and booth in the Moscow fair was centered on the spa and wellness theme, an industry that is fast becoming popular around the globe.

Aside from the fair, a Spa and Health International Workshop and Conference was held where the only Asian speaker UP Executive director and vice-chancellor for Research Dr. Jaime Galvez Tan, M.D. discussed the traditional and latest spa treatments in the Philippines. Sanctuario Spa manager Jomar Fleras, on the other hand, talked about the various healing modalities of the country. The first-ever Travel Guidebook on the Philippines published in the Russian language was also launched during the event.

Meanwhile, government officials in the delegation had exploratory talks with the Russian leaders on joint tourism promotion while members of the travel sector engaged in business meetings with their local counterparts.

Due to its successful participation this year, DoT together with the private sector will hold a selling mission in March and organize a mini travel mart featuring the Philippines’ top destinations, said Verna Buensuceso, Chief Tourism Operations Officer and head of Team Europe.

She also reported that the country will sign a bilateral tourism agreement with Russia during the 30th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations between Russia and the Philippines in 2006.

Russia is one of the Philippines’ emerging markets and DoT hopes to get a larger share of its growing outbound travelers.

According to a study, the 27. 8 million population in the Russian Federation and the Commonwealth of Independent States are among the most promising markets in Europe. In CIS alone, more than 19 million people travel abroad every year.

Of these potential markets, Buensuceso said the DoT is planning to tap in particular, the tourist market in Vladivostok and other eastern regions in Russia because of its closer proximity to the Philippines. Vladivostok is only four hours from Manila, via a chartered flight.

For the first half of 2005, the country received 5,000 Russian tourists, posting a remarkable increase of 154.2 percent in growth rate from January to July 2004.

kyle@1008

October 4th, 2005, 08:02 AM

daz vidye to the sons of mother russia!!!

Skyblade

October 5th, 2005, 04:17 AM

Foreign travel execs coming
By Cherry T. Lim
Link to the article (http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/ceb/2002/10/23/bus/foreign.travel.execs.coming.html)

INTERNATIONAL tourism players are expected to visit Cebu next month. Felix Christopher Alegre III, president of the Philippine Tour Operators Association (Philtoa), said he would be bringing some 60 foreign tourism players to Cebu and Bohol on Nov. 19 and 20.

This is in line with the 13th Philippine Travel Mart to be held at the SM Megatrade Halls in Mandaluyong on Nov. 22 to 24.

Alliances

Philtoa has alliances with travel associations in New York and other foreign cities. It is the members of these alliances who will be coming over to check out Cebu and Bohol next month, Alegre said.

Provincial Board Member Ina Asirit, chairperson of the committee on tourism and international affairs, said the Province of Cebu would participate in the Travel Mart.

“The Province of Cebu is one with the DOT (Department of Tourism) in putting up a booth for the Province of Cebu with private stakeholders,” she said during the Kapihan sa Turismo at Cebu Plaza Hotel last Thursday.

All in all, the province of Cebu will have five booths, she said.

At last year’s event, the Philippine Travel Mart attracted some 181,000 visitors and 42,000 corporate and foreign buyers, Alegre said.

Negros Occidental was the biggest winner last year, with sales of P20 million.

This year, the number of booths will be expanded to 380 booths from last year’s 340 booths, and there will be 150 participants.

New venue

Patrick Gregorio, chairman of the Cebu Visitors Convention Bureau, then asked Alegre to consider holding the next Philippine Travel Mart in Cebu.

“For 14 years, the Philippine Travel Mart has been held in Manila,” he said.
Cebu will have its own travel mart early next year, however.

Marisol Barria, president of the Cebu Association of Tour Operators (Cato), announced that the Cato, Cebu Travel and Tours Association and the Department of Tourism 7, together with local hotels, operators, restaurants and resorts, had scheduled their own Travel Mart at SM City Cebu on Jan. 24-26.

normandb

October 5th, 2005, 05:05 AM

No problem. :)

Here's another article to add in the latest hopes of attracting Russian tourists:
RP wins top award in Russia leisure fair
Link to the article (http://www.mb.com.ph/TOUR2005100445936.html)

I am not surprised. When it comes to tourism we always win an award in International Fair and Exposition. Kahit maliit ang budget magaling talaga ang mga tao ng Department of Tourism at very creative.

Rence

October 5th, 2005, 07:36 AM

Nice to hear that good news!

sandrin

October 5th, 2005, 12:14 PM

haha To Russia with Love

KulasKusgan

October 5th, 2005, 12:56 PM

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a340/tj_brewed/DAVAO/Cebu/davao2.jpg

We invite you to come and discover Davao, a melting pot of diverse migrant and indigenous peoples whose cultures are woven into a rich tapestry of ethnic and contemporary lifestyles manifested in art, literature, cuisine, music and festivities. Davao is the Philippines’ “City in Bloom”, blessed with a bounty of natural gifts ranging from fertile fruit plantations, lush orchid farms, majestic mountain ranges, pristine white sand beaches to a bustling urban centre where modern conveniences are within reach.

In fact, three of the country’s most treasured natural gems are found in Davao, making it a must-see destination. The city has the best access to the country’s highest peak, Mount Apo which is the original habitat of our national bird and second largest eagle in the world, the Philippine Eagle, and national flower, the Waling-waling orchid.

Moreover, our city takes pride in being recognised as one of the cleanest and greenest in the country as well as having the second best potable water in the world. We were named one of the most livable cities in Asia by Asiaweek Magazine and the most competitive to do business in, in the Philippines by the Asian Institute of Management. In addition, we are privileged that our 911 Integrated Emergency Response Network makes us one of only three areas in the world after the US and Canada to activate such an effective programme, that ensures security in the city that now enjoys one of the lowest crime rates in the world.

Meanwhile, we also take pride in our annual “Kadayawan Festival”, the biggest thanksgiving for a bountiful harvest held in August where street dancing, floral float parade and showcase of indigenous peoples’ cultures are highlighted. This week-long festivity never fails to give visitors an exhilarating experience, which you will also experience in January as we stage several events to welcome you all.

Indeed, we are happy to host the 2006 ASEAN Tourism Forum and we look forward to your arrival as Davao City beckons to be discovered.

See you in January!

RODRIGO R. DUTERTE
Mayor, Davao City
Chairman, ATF 2006 - Davao Host Council

for more info, click this link: http://www.atfdavao.com/

Skyblade

October 6th, 2005, 06:28 AM

Thanks for the link, sleepwalker. :okay:

Philippines' Albay Geothermal Field Now An Eco-Tourism Site
Link to the article (http://asia.news.yahoo.com/051005/4/28e33.html)

LEGAZPI CITY, Oct 5 Asia Pulse - The Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT) has declared parts of the Philippine National Oil Company in Bacon, Sorsogon and Manito (Bac-Man), Albay geothermal fields as an eco-tourism destination.

Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano was thrilled during his visit in early September at the Bac-Man fields due to the variety and uniqueness of the area's tourism attractions including the giant fruit bats, the Botong town falls and the "Nag-aso" boiling lake and mud pool, according to PNOC spokesman Gerry Bunao.

The fruit bats, or "macabog" of Bacon, Sorsogon City are the biggest known in the world. This winged mammal has an adult wingspan of between one meter and 1.5 meters.

Bunao said its natural habitat is located some 17 kilometers (or some three to four hours of hiking) from the town proper of Manito, some 13 kilometers from the Toblehon Junction in Sorsogon City.

Within an hour's walk from the fruit bat site are the blue and green Twin Falls whose differing colors signify two separate sources of water.

The green waterfall draws its fresh water from mineral springs in the area. The blue one draws its water from the underground Inang Maharang in Manito, Albay. It boasts of crystaline water in the "nag-aso" (steaming) lake and the therapeutic properties of its mud lake.

Bunao said residents in the area traditionally cook their eggs and skin their slaughtered animals in the said boiling lake.

Temperature at the mud pool ranges from a bearable 40 degrees to a scalding 100 degrees. It is where those with various skin ailments and arthritis find some relief.

Bunao said among the developments being planned for this destination are hot and cold pools and steam baths.

The long-term development plans for the viability of said destinations for commercial eco-tourism include the upgrading of the roads and building the basic structures like mess halls and accommodations.

Bunao said they would be ready to start the project by the first quarter of next year.

Already, the PNOC has initiated the formation of local farmers' organizations in the barangay level and would help in facilitating their training as hosts and tour guides.

The 25,100-hectare PNOC Bac-Man geothermal fields reservation, which produces some 150 megawatts of electricity, is the first of the seven geothermal sites in the country to be declared as an eco-tourism destination.

(PNA)

ryanr

October 6th, 2005, 06:29 AM

^^ I like your sig, nicely organized:)

Skyblade

October 6th, 2005, 07:23 AM

Thanks Grey. :D

Here's an article from Sun Star Bacolod:

'Promote tourism all the way down'
By Erwin Ambo S. Delilan
Link to the article (http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/bac/2005/10/04/news/.promote.tourism.all.the.way.down..html)

THE Department of Tourism is expecting about 2.7 million tourists from abroad to come in and visit the country until the end of this year.

Tourism Secretary Joseph "Ace" Durano, however, said the campaign approach in promoting the country's best destinations should not be in high profile but must be "all the way down."

"Let's start from the very basic. Let's identify our market in every country. Fit the promotion to market target," he stressed.

Durano who was in Bacolod Monday morning for the opening of the 6th Annual Atop Convention at the Bacolod Convention Plaza Hotel said that based on the 2004 Tourist Arrival Record, Japan, China and Korea are the top three countries in Asia with the most number of tourists coming in the country.

"This shows that the Philippines has a very strong market among North Asian countries," he said.

He added, Philippines being a multi-attraction destination has all the strategic advantage in terms of promotion.

He said what we need to strengthen right now is marketing strategy, marketing intelligence and we should know how to communicate well.

He added that language is the very basic component in the promotion.

When we are in Japan, we need to know Niponggo and when we have Japanese tourists here, we need to have Filipino interpreters who know how to speak Niponggo, too.

Same true with China and Korea and so on and so forth, he said.

On the other hand, Durano said the country's best selling item is beach resort.

Boracay, he said, topped the sought-after-beach resort in the country.

Meanwhile, Durano defended President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in the controversial Executive Order 464.

He said, "The President is right. Her order is within the bounds of law. It is stipulated under Section 22 of Article 6 in the Constitution."

He added that the President is only exercising her prerogative to maintain peace and order and to save the country from further widening of political dividedness.

Durano said it cannot be denied today that there are a lot of the so-called destabilizers now in the country who use street protests as their avenue to ventilating their disgust against the present administration.

But their very purpose, said Durano is further create havoc and to widen the political dividedness.

With the President who is strict right now by way of implementing the "No permit, no rally policy," many of whom have reacted.

They then shifted their move to Congressional hearing.

"These destabilizers are now using this congressional hearings to create havoc," he said.

He also said, "I think we should not question the Presidential prerogative as granted by the Constitution which only aimed at ensuring peace and order in the country.

Despite of all these, however, still tourism promotion is not affected.

Durano said political debate and activism is only in Metro Manila while most of the tourist destinations in the country are outside manila.

Earlier, Negros Occidental Tourism Officer and this year's chairman of ATOP Convention Jennylind Cordero asked her fellow tourism officers to stay away from politics and instead focus their promotion which is free from political intimidation.

ColaPop

October 7th, 2005, 12:08 AM

xDieselJockx

October 7th, 2005, 05:26 AM

I think through out Philipines has many many beautiful beaches and resorts and natural beauty , but mostly known to only locals . I think probably due to weak tourism promotions abroad and the poor efforts from the government agencies . There should be a more cohesive and collective agency to act as a whole to promote local tourism industry . i think Philipines can do much better than only 2.7 mil foreign tourist arrival !!

within the ASEAN region , theres already a very strong tourism sector especially in Thailand , M'sia and S'pore . Its very hard to compete with them , but i think in order for Philipines to compete for the tourist dollars , a different approach might just be a good idea . on top of developing the resorts alone , it should also captivate the local essences and preserve the traditional local cultures instead of trying to westernize everything .

Somehow I think the tourism in the Philippines is blooming if you are to ask me. When I visited there last time, comparing it now from 4 or 5 years ago, I saw the distinctively big influx of tourist everywhere, most especially in all beach resorts i've been into. bookings were always full, so, it's not just the local tourist. I know for a fact back in April of this yer, the NWA flight i was in was full of American tourist they were all in separate groups,I would say there was atleast over 100 natural born americans in that flight aside from all other filipino-americans and filipino immigrants. This is not to mention the Japanese tourist coming from Tokyo because it is where NWA connects all its other flights to all other asian cities.

dancethingy

October 7th, 2005, 02:06 PM

Skyblade

October 8th, 2005, 03:16 AM

Do any of you think that marketing the Philippines as a place of ROMANCE might work. There's so much in the country that is so romantic, maybe it's the Spanish influences. Intramuros is a perfect place to lay the grooves on. If and when Manila is completely rehabed (that'd be a long time), it could be the Paris of the East. Vigan was also very romantic, perfect place for smooth talkin'.
Seems to be a success with Koreans visiting the RP for honeymoons. :D (at least hearing from that article that was posted around here before.) The DoT seems to notice this market with their World of Weddings: More than the usual "I do" (http://www.wowphilippines.com.ph/wow/world_of_weddings.asp) thing that they have going on.

Southern coastal town pushes tourism

First posted 11:36pm (Mla time) Oct 01, 2005
By Dennis Jay Santos
Inquirer News Service
Link to the article (http://beta.inq7.net/regions/index.php?index=1&story_id=51991)

Editor's Note: Published on page A13 of the October 2, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

THE FADING SUN casts a resplendent glow over a group of fishermen scouring the vast Davao Gulf and Celebes Sea. Just as the lighthouse begins to flash its light, some fishermen start rowing their bancas (outrigger boats) to shore and head for home. Other fishermen begin their night shift, working until the wee hours of the morning.

Tired from the day’s work, husbands and young men gather in a small hut to relax and drink. They usually talk about fishing, but soon, delve into other mundane topics that elicit laughter and sometimes dancing and singing.

Their wives and sometimes young girls would join to listen or chat with them and the gathering becomes more jubilant. Children huddle in a corner and tell tales from the sea, ranging from mermaids, giant octopuses, sharks, whales, a village at the bottom of the ocean and other stories recounted by their grandparents.

These are some of the scenes in Governor Generoso, formerly known as Sigaboy, a coastal town in Davao Oriental, less than 200 kilometers from Davao City and located at the southernmost tip of Mindanao.

The town is named after Governor Sebastian Generoso who headed the province from 1925 to 1937.

The town is home to about 44,000 people from different ethnic origins, who are drawn to the fishing life.

Ecological wonder

Governor Generoso boasts of pristine white sand in Cape San Agustin; the Cagamisan or Tambobong falls; a 16,000-hectare pygmy forest; a centuries-old rock formation believed to be where the 15th century missionary priest from Spain, Fr. Francis Xavier, had his first Mass; and several mountains that trekkers could climb.

“The people themselves are aware of the richness of this place,” said tourism officer Reden Bersaldo.

“It’s a beautiful place,” he said, adding that the residents have a lot of work to do in their bid for tourism growth.

But while living in a land with rich resources, most families here are poor.

Alberto Cadiena Jr., a government employee, said some 65 percent of the population live below poverty line.

Mayor Jerry dela Cerna knows they could have been economically progressive if they had allowed logging and chromite mining in their town.

But the mayor, who is a former priest, said opening their doors to such industries would mean ecological and environmental degradation.

“Mining is not an option,” Dela Cerna said.

“Although encouraged by a national government policy, it has done no good at all and no developments were seen in the area,” he said.

Dela Cerna said the town “has wide mountains, beautiful climate and good water that we just have to protect and harness for our sustainability.”

He said they are promoting “agri-tourism” by putting a high premium on environmental protection and coastal management.

Participation

Governor Generoso was third place last year in the Toolkit Citizen Participation Award, given by a Netherlands-based body that recognizes governments which promote citizens’ participation in decision making. South Africa’s Nelson Mandela got the first prize.

The municipality won the award because of a municipal ordinance that introduced a 15-kilometer ban on commercial fishing in the municipal waters and the use of the “payao,” a fishing device made of local materials as one of its alternative fishing methods.

“Protecting the environment and enhancing productivity really needs the cooperation of the community,” Dela Cerna said.

Achieving sustainability and improving the living condition of the community needs participation from the people themselves.

With such practice, the whole community benefits from the concerted effort of all.

xDieselJockx

October 8th, 2005, 05:20 AM

KulasKusgan

October 8th, 2005, 06:00 AM

for me, the main reason why philippines lags behind our neighbors in terms of tourism maybe because we lack an authentic filipino tourism site. i mean theres not much facilities that value more on filipino architecture. a tourist would always go to thailand, malaysia, vietnam, indonesia and even cambodia primarily due to their temples, local culture as an add-on to beaches and other nature/ecotourism sites.

malls & nightlife? every city in the world has it.
beach? theres carribean, maldives

successful philippine tourist sites like baguio, cebu, bohol offer not only nature but also ethnic filipino culture.

i guess, this is also the reason why davao is starting to gain grounds since davao is capitalizing its "lumad" or ethnic culture on its facilities. but kulang pa. theres so much to be done.

KulasKusgan

October 8th, 2005, 06:15 AM

Southern coastal town pushes tourism

First posted 11:36pm (Mla time) Oct 01, 2005
By Dennis Jay Santos
Inquirer News Service
Link to the article (http://beta.inq7.net/regions/index.php?index=1&story_id=51991)

Editor's Note: Published on page A13 of the October 2, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

THE FADING SUN casts a resplendent glow over a group of fishermen scouring the vast Davao Gulf and Celebes Sea. Just as the lighthouse begins to flash its light, some fishermen start rowing their bancas (outrigger boats) to shore and head for home. Other fishermen begin their night shift, working until the wee hours of the morning.

Tired from the day’s work, husbands and young men gather in a small hut to relax and drink. They usually talk about fishing, but soon, delve into other mundane topics that elicit laughter and sometimes dancing and singing.

Their wives and sometimes young girls would join to listen or chat with them and the gathering becomes more jubilant. Children huddle in a corner and tell tales from the sea, ranging from mermaids, giant octopuses, sharks, whales, a village at the bottom of the ocean and other stories recounted by their grandparents.

These are some of the scenes in Governor Generoso, formerly known as Sigaboy, a coastal town in Davao Oriental, less than 200 kilometers from Davao City and located at the southernmost tip of Mindanao.

The town is named after Governor Sebastian Generoso who headed the province from 1925 to 1937.

The town is home to about 44,000 people from different ethnic origins, who are drawn to the fishing life.

Ecological wonder

Governor Generoso boasts of pristine white sand in Cape San Agustin; the Cagamisan or Tambobong falls; a 16,000-hectare pygmy forest; a centuries-old rock formation believed to be where the 15th century missionary priest from Spain, Fr. Francis Xavier, had his first Mass; and several mountains that trekkers could climb.

“The people themselves are aware of the richness of this place,” said tourism officer Reden Bersaldo.

“It’s a beautiful place,” he said, adding that the residents have a lot of work to do in their bid for tourism growth.

But while living in a land with rich resources, most families here are poor.

Alberto Cadiena Jr., a government employee, said some 65 percent of the population live below poverty line.

Mayor Jerry dela Cerna knows they could have been economically progressive if they had allowed logging and chromite mining in their town.

But the mayor, who is a former priest, said opening their doors to such industries would mean ecological and environmental degradation.

“Mining is not an option,” Dela Cerna said.

“Although encouraged by a national government policy, it has done no good at all and no developments were seen in the area,” he said.

Dela Cerna said the town “has wide mountains, beautiful climate and good water that we just have to protect and harness for our sustainability.”

He said they are promoting “agri-tourism” by putting a high premium on environmental protection and coastal management.

Participation

Governor Generoso was third place last year in the Toolkit Citizen Participation Award, given by a Netherlands-based body that recognizes governments which promote citizens’ participation in decision making. South Africa’s Nelson Mandela got the first prize.

The municipality won the award because of a municipal ordinance that introduced a 15-kilometer ban on commercial fishing in the municipal waters and the use of the “payao,” a fishing device made of local materials as one of its alternative fishing methods.

“Protecting the environment and enhancing productivity really needs the cooperation of the community,” Dela Cerna said.

Achieving sustainability and improving the living condition of the community needs participation from the people themselves.

With such practice, the whole community benefits from the concerted effort of all.

This is an advocacy of Davao Gulf Management Council... to protect the gulf, ban illegal fishing methods, as a result, a sustainable development, well-balanced ecosystem.

Sigaboy looks like a sleepy town. Brgy Tibanban in Sigaboy has a dynamic local economy on fishing. Theres an unexploited island off Tibanban, I dunno whats the name but they say its beautiful and virgin.

sandrin

October 8th, 2005, 10:58 PM

WoW Philippines ads adorn London Taxi Cabs.

http://www.inq7.net/archive/2005/oct/09/zoom.jpg

amigo32

October 8th, 2005, 11:10 PM

WoW Philippines ads adorn London Taxi Cabs.

http://www.inq7.net/archive/2005/oct/09/zoom.jpg

DFA (http://www.dfa.gov.ph/news/pr/pr2005/oct/pr716.htm)
WOW PHILIPPINES LONDON BLACK CAB CRUISES AROUND LONDON TO PROMOTE RP TOURISM

05 October 2005 – The Philippine Embassy in London reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs that the biggest tourism campaign of the Philippine Department of Tourism in London is now travelling throughout this European capital. Not even the city’s usual overcast sky and intermittent rains could stop its spectacular launch on September 30.

Ten of London’s world-famous black cabs were lined up in front of the Philippine Embassy on Palace Green, Kensington, liveried or dressed up with glorious Philippine scenery and emblazoned with the now familiar WOW Philippines brand name. The ten were part of the 50-strong fleet of London black cabs now cruising around London with some of the Philippines’ tourist attractions wrapped around their gleaming bodies. (Please refer to separate photo releases of 5 October 2005.)

Philippine Ambassador to the Court of St. James, UK Edgardo B. Espiritu and Tourism Attaché Domingo Enerio III led in the launching of the six-month promotion project. In the program held at the Philippine Embassy, Ambassador Espiritu welcomed the guests from the UK travel industry and described the new promotional campaign of Philippine tourism as “inspired, attention-getting, and eye-catching”. The Philippine scenes depicted on the black cabs’ livery are: a dive site, water sports, an island sunset, painted sails and white sands of Boracay, Bacolod’s Masskara festival, a world-class golf course, the chocolate hills of Bohol, a Mindanao woman in colorful costume, and the Banaue Rice Terraces.

Ambassador Espiritu congratulated the DOT office in London for their creative promotional initiative, and thanked Asher Moses, manager of Taxi Promotions UK, for his “excellent support and cooperation on the project”, as well as the participating London cab drivers whom he called “the best in the world”.

Representatives of the British travel industry and media, executives from international airline companies, and leaders of the Filipino community attended the launching ceremonies. Among the companies represented were Philippine Travel Ltd., Fulcrum Public Relations & Marketing, DB World Travel, TEFS Travel Service, Audley Travel, Emerald Travel, Gifto Travels Ltd, Jet Life/Argo Holidays, Cathay Pacific Airways, Kuwait Airways, Thai Airways International, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Bell I.T. 200 Limited, Capital Services Gmbh, Marco Polo Hotel Group, Carlton Leisure, Celestial Travel, Charrie Travel and Tours, Philippine Islands Connections-UK, Pinoy Travel, TRAVCO, ABTA Magazine, Asian Tribune, Crane Media, Philippine National Bank (Europe) Plc, and the Sampaguita Joy performing group.

After the opening ceremonies, a motorcade of ten black cabs decorated with flags and balloons and a media taxi set off from the embassy grounds for a grand tour of the major thoroughfares of London, taking in Marble Arch, Oxford and Regent Streets, Piccadilly Circus, Haymarket, Trafalgar Square, Whitehall, Westminster Abbey and Parliament, Victoria, Hyde Park Corner, Knightsbridge for a Harrods stopover, Cromwell Road, Shepherds Bush and Holland Park Road, Notting Hill Gate and back to the embassy for the reception and a sumptuous Filipino lunch.

The Department of Tourism office in London is currently in the thick of preparations for its participation in the DIVE 2005 show in Birmingham at the end of October, and the World Travel Market at ExCel London in November, according to Tourism Attaché Enerio. END

Skyblade

October 9th, 2005, 05:55 PM

I should really keep an eye out if, and when I'm around London. :D

slerz

October 10th, 2005, 11:55 AM

by tj_brewed

LIVING in CEBU

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a340/tj_brewed/ETC/cebuliving.jpg

stephencua

October 11th, 2005, 05:27 AM

taken from inq7.net.. now imagine if NAIA 3 was finished.. what more positive news this would bring us.. tsk tsk..

Visitor arrivals rise 12.2% in August
Posted: 10:22 AM | Oct. 11, 2005

THE NUMBER of visitors to the Philippines in August rose 12.2 percent from a year earlier to 186,171, data from the Department of Tourism show.

This brought visitor arrivals in the Philippines to 1.73 million for the first eight months of the year, up 13.4 percent from the same period last year.

Americans accounted for 21 percent of all visitors from January to August, with their numbers growing 11.6 percent year-on-year to 362,666.

They were followed by South Korean visitors, totaling 318,612, up 29.7 percent from a year before, and Japanese visitors, up 7.5 percent to 276,512.

Visitors from China posted the fastest annual growth of 141.9 percent to 64,044, making China the Philippines' sixth biggest source of tourists.

tigidig14

October 11th, 2005, 05:33 AM

^ yung mga Americans sa statistics na yun ay mga pipino

mysaong03

October 11th, 2005, 09:59 PM

dapat dina sinasali mga filams balikbayan!

tigidig14

October 11th, 2005, 10:32 PM

citizen na eh

bustero

October 12th, 2005, 04:16 AM

Ok lang iyan , even if they are funny talking pinoys who pretend they are not from here, as long as gumastos sila dito , it's great, at least the mabibigyan ng trabaho madaming tao.

I think even without NAIA 3 we'll see a lot of this steve. The trend now in travelling is Low Cost Carriers and they mostly fly to clark and most of the travellers, while liking a HK or Singapore airport, would rather fly to an out of town airport where they walk on the tarmac to get pick up their bags as long as it's cheap enough!

stephencua

October 13th, 2005, 02:47 AM

taken from mb.com.ph..

RP given big exposure in prestigious Asian mag

By RACHEL C. BARAWID

The Philippines is again expected to get a major boost in its tourism industry after its popular destinations have recently gained significant exposure in Action Asia, a prestigious adventure travel magazine with a wide circulation in Australia and all over Asia.

In the August-September issue of Action Asia Magazine, a 24-page supplement on the Philippines was released, featuring the Islands’ top action-adventure-packed destinations that have been ranked among the world’s finest attractions.

The supplement also has writeups and articles about the diversity of the country’s natural beauty, variety of entertainment being offered, calendar of events, important contacts as well as information of offices that would be valuable to visitors touring the Philippines.

One can also find a more detailed and lengthy feature on the various adventure activities in the country such as trekking in Batanes; rafting and caving in Cagayan Valley; diving in Anilao, Cebu, Palawan, and Puerto Galera; kayaking and surfing in Boracay and Siargao; and eco-touring in Bohol.

Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano said the supplement is a joint project with the mag’s publisher ADKOM Hong Kong LTD.

"The Department of Tourism (DoT) is campaigning mostly through high-impact advertisements in our priority markets and Action Asia is such a formidable channel that will help us attain our goal of making the Philippines known to travelers around the globe as a must-go and must-see location," Durano said.

The Philippines’ travel insert was officially launched recently at the Tower Club in Makati by Action Asia Editor-in-Chief Steve White, CEO and publisher of Adkom Media Group Olivier Burlot, and DoT Assistant Secretary for Planning and Promotions Eduardo Jarque Jr.

Also present during the presentation were representatives from the DoT, Adkom, Action Asia, members of the media, and adventure and sports organizations.

According to Durano, the Philippines has a lot to gain from its exposure in the magazine which has a huge distribution and wide readership among tourists, business professionals and establishments.

"The exposure from our partnership with Adkom is truly significant and far-reaching. We are positive that through our 24-page supplement, we would be able to encourage more travelers to experience the brand of pleasure we have here in the Philippines," Durano said.

He added that it would also be an effective instrument in promoting the country to its top markets, particularly China, Japan, and Korea.

With over 10 years in the travel business, Action Asia has become the leading travel and lifestyle magazine in the region. Aside from giving the latest on unusual and interesting destinations in Asia, the magazine also provides readers an in-depth look on the diverse cultural and environmental assets of Asian countries.

tigidig14

October 13th, 2005, 03:18 AM

^wow philippines

marites4

October 13th, 2005, 03:32 AM

xDieselJockx

October 13th, 2005, 11:03 AM

You know what's missing in our tourism campaign. The food aspect. You often hear of travellers complaining of Filipino food , travellers are used to the backpacker trail food of banana pancake and spicy SE asian cuisine. The Dot should assign someone to make sure at every destination there is a replica of thai food.

You know what? It's a good idea but I really don't know how to put it with a filipino cuisine. Chinese, Japanese and Thai foods seems to be a popular pick here in america for some reason, I don't like some of the other vietnamese food as it seems blunt to me. I am not too fond of other filipino foods either but I have some that i can consider something i would pick and be a favorite filipino foods like adobo, springroll (which always catch the american tastebuds), and a couple of others I can remember, but I think the other foods being served in a filipino restaurants tend to turn most of other non filipino background off. Like the blood and pigs feet or in the Philippines, those internal organs. it's not a bad thing but I guess one can get accustomed to it.

The main thing that really attracts most of the foreigners to go to the Philippines is the white sandy beaches, the warmthness of the filipino people, you can experience luxury at a much cheaper price comparing to other tourist destination. So I guess making the Philippines feels like very homely and relaxing would be the best asset the Philippines can offer.

dancethingy

October 13th, 2005, 06:45 PM

@ xdieseljockx, and the romance of intramuros (sigh).

ColaPop

October 13th, 2005, 07:30 PM

I think Philippines' tourism indutry is still weak , comparing to its neigbor . The tourism unit should develop a more cohesive and more informative sector and presenting and promoting to the world . And besides beaches , should also develop something else while preserving local culture . After all , Philippines is competing against the worlds best ( Bali , Phuket , Langkawi )

tigidig14

October 13th, 2005, 08:20 PM

^ is this your bro cokelitro

kiretoce

October 13th, 2005, 08:21 PM

DOT blitz seeks to lure more Spanish tourists
By Max V. De Leon, Reporter Friday, October 14, 2005

THE government needs to embark on an aggressive promotional efforts to attract Spanish tourists to the country as the Philippines is not even listed in the brochure of travel agencies in Spain.

Jose Miguel Cortez, economic and commercial counselor of the Embassy of Spain here, told reporters at Spain’s National Day celebration in Makati on Thursday that on the average, only 6,000 Spanish tourists visit the Philippines every year.

This number is very small compared with Spanish visiting Vietnam at about 50,000 and Thailand, about 100,000.

“I told the Tourism secretary [Ace Durano] that they should make an effort because Spanish tourists travel a lot and spend a lot. Unfortunately you never see Philippines in brochures of travel agencies,” Cortez said.

He said the Spaniards are not aware of the beautiful beaches in the Philippines, which is not the case with Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam.

Even the fact that the Philippines was a former colony of Spain, he said, is not known to most of his countrymen.

Durano, Cortez said, agreed to make an effort and bring in first some journalists from Spain to promote the Philippines and some executives of travel agencies.

The Tourism department is considering to do that within the year, he said.

He said there are three major good avenues for promotion where he firmly believes tourists can be excited to come to the Philippines.

“One is it has beaches, cultural heritage, particularly from the Spaniards. There are not many people in Spain who know about it. It’s only when we come here that we realize that we were your former colonizers, visitors. But still there are a lot of architecture still living in the country. I’m sure they would like to see it. Not many people know about the Philippines in Spain. Third one should be shopping,” he said.

Cortez added, “The Philippine government should make first steps in promoting the Philippines and we will support them. It’s matter of promotion.”

richard fischer

October 14th, 2005, 12:11 AM

have you seen their website ? cannot find anything about the philippines in their september issue.....

[QUOTE=stephencua]taken from mb.com.ph..

RP given big exposure in prestigious Asian mag

By RACHEL C. BARAWID

The Philippines is again expected to get a major boost in its tourism industry after its popular destinations have recently gained significant exposure in Action Asia, a prestigious adventure travel magazine with a wide circulation in Australia and all over Asia.

In the August-September issue of Action Asia Magazine, a 24-page supplement on the Philippines was released, featuring the Islands’ top action-adventure-packed destinations that have been ranked among the world’s finest attractions.

The supplement also has writeups and articles about the diversity of the country’s natural beauty, variety of entertainment being offered, calendar of events, important contacts as well as information of offices that would be valuable to visitors touring the Philippines.

One can also find a more detailed and lengthy feature on the various adventure activities in the country such as trekking in Batanes; rafting and caving in Cagayan Valley; diving in Anilao, Cebu, Palawan, and Puerto Galera; kayaking and surfing in Boracay and Siargao; and eco-touring in Bohol.

Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano said the supplement is a joint project with the mag’s publisher ADKOM Hong Kong LTD.

"The Department of Tourism (DoT) is campaigning mostly through high-impact advertisements in our priority markets and Action Asia is such a formidable channel that will help us attain our goal of making the Philippines known to travelers around the globe as a must-go and must-see location," Durano said.

The Philippines’ travel insert was officially launched recently at the Tower Club in Makati by Action Asia Editor-in-Chief Steve White, CEO and publisher of Adkom Media Group Olivier Burlot, and DoT Assistant Secretary for Planning and Promotions Eduardo Jarque Jr............