Building on tourism

To Take A Stand

Building on tourism

By Mario Antonio G. Lopez

Slogan to reality: "It’s more fun in the Philippines," the new tourism slogan, has taken off very well. A fellow AIM professor, Richard Cruz, said in a TV interview that italso has the virtue of not asserting any questionable or indefensible promise. There are detractors for sure. We must properly appreciate their skepticism because these have very valid bases.

Professor Cruz, conscious of this skepticism, added that we must go beyond the slogan, the catchy posters and the good videos which may attract, but not by themselves produce the experiences that will make people enjoy their stay, wish to come back, and taking more (extended) family members and friends along with them. Professor Cruz’s warning is also the reason for much of the articulated skepticism. We are not prepared for the kind of tourist inflows we would like the country to start experiencing soon.

What are we trying to achieve? The Department of Tourism is targeting to bring in 20 million tourists by 2016 (this requiresa 20% annual growth in tourist arrivals every year). This will be require that for them, we will fulfill our promise to give them more fun than any other alternative destination would have. We can’t today, but we could start this year if we act soonand in concert. How do we begin to do this?

For many, the first sets of impressions will come from their experiences with our international carriers, from the time they book their tickets to the time they get back home (we best make sure PAL, Cebu-Pac,AirPhil, Zest Air and now SeaAir do an excellent job of handling these beginningand ending!).

For most, the first experience comes uponarriving at our airports -- which will be the second for those riding our carriers. Many others and I had written earlier on the great need to fix all our airports and add small airports to increase access to many great destinations. I reiterate that we need dramatic improvements in ALL our airports SOONEST!

I am glad to know from the reports of the Department of Transport and Communication that money has beenallocated to improve the NAIA, Mactan, Palawan and Bohol airports. DMIA must be included given how small it has become in the light of the increasing traffic that goes through there. To be sure, Victor Lucianoand his team seems to be doing a good job but the airport could use an expansion with provisions for more convenient road vehicle parking and better amenities for people waiting for passenger arrivals. And there is so much more that money, time and great effort must be put to work to achieve.

We have a major job of developing agreater number and variety of destinations, from our seas and beaches, to our mountain resorts, and the places in-between. While we know there are many places with great potentials for tourism in the country, many are under-developed, without proper transport access and/or in bad need of physical amelioration before we ourselves will want to go for the first time or go back for a return visit.

Many of our provinces have many potential sites to offer that however are under-developed, are barely accessible or inaccessible. Only the most intrepid ofadventure tourists would want to go there. To mention a few, think Polillo and the Batanes and Babuyan islands.

Some are ready for small(ler) groups but local authorities have not reached the level of collaborative work that could make these promising places yield their promise to tourists. Pandan in North Antique, close to Caticlan, is one such place. Tourists could be enticed to go there even if they stayed in Caticlan hotels as the place is close enough. This arrangement results in extended stays in the area. Other places include Currimao and Burgos, where the Bojeador lighthouse is, which are both near to Laoag with its international airport.

I recall Cagayan Valley and think seashores, fishing, river rides, cave explorations, great food, drives up to the mountain provinces. I think of the whole eastern coast of Luzon.

I revisit Bicol in my mind and think whale sharks, coves, islets, mountain climbs anda mountain lake. I recall any region in the Visayas and would gladly go to a myriad places there but know that I cannot recommend these to less adventurous friends -- which means the majority of them -- because going there entails much effort. And the amenities in place would not suit them.

Local access needs improvement, much improvement with better transport systemsavailable to our visitors once they get here. While many of the vehicles provided by theaccredited transportation companies in Metro Manila, Metro Cebu and Metro Davaoare not shabby, at least outside, many need serious "make-overs" on the inside.And many of our drivers need training on how to properly communicate and behave toward our visitors. Vehicles and their drivers in other cities, however, are adifferent story. Here major system overhauls are sorely needed.

Between ports, hotels and destinations, we get into the issue of our roads and our traffic system. Many of roads need serious repairs. There are far too many pot holes, construction or repair-related obstructionsand human-caused illegal artifacts for vehicles and people to circumvent in thesearteries. These create all kinds of delays that make the trip from airports to hotelsand residences an often unpleasant experience save for the most open-mindedand adventurous of visitors.

Here again I am glad that the plans of the DoTC include repairs and rehabilitation ofall existing road systems. But I would like to see a greater cooperation between the DoT and the DoTC in opening up moreareas of the country that hold the promise for tourism and its many ancillary activities -- especially agriculture and fisheries (we will need to feed the tourist and grow cropsand animals that can be further processed into delicacies we can offer proudly and wrapped, canned or bottled for our visitors to take home). I cannot help but think of the local food tourists buy in countries like Thailand, Malaysia, Viet Nam and Indonesia for taking home, having enjoyed these immensely while staying in these places.

Our traffic system requires serious changes. We have many rules and regulations that need to be implemented. Given the assertion that our road system as designed is already overloaded, problemsare further exacerbated because traffic is not managed enough to ensure faster and smoother flow.Even during peak traffic hours traffic regulators are either lacking orabsent.

Accommodations, amenities and other facilities must include first-and-second-world-class eating, sleeping and shopping places. Someone once commented that at the end of the day, most western tourists look for hamburgers, pasta and sodas, andair-conditioned rooms with hot baths and reliable electricity and running water. I hasten to add they look for reliable Internet connections and medical facilities similar to what they have been accustomed to in their countries.

Friendly AND knowledgeable people -- local residents who understand what it will take to make tourists feel at home -- are perhaps the cement that will hold all of these together. How many vacations in other lands have been remembered less well because locals proved cold and unhelpful?

Are we up to the challenge? I would like to think we are. But this will mean a well-discussed, well-coordinated plan of action involving not only the government at all levels, and the tourism and hospitality sectors of business but also the communities.