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By Darwin G. Amojelar, Reporter
THE Philippines’ ranking in the most
attractive environments for the travel and tourism industry climbed
five notches this year, according to the World Economic Forum (WEF)
study released on Tuesday.
In its Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report
2008, the Switzerland-based organization said the country ranked
81st among 130 countries around the world. It scored 3.7 points in
the overall travel and tourism competitiveness index.
In 2007, the country ranked 86th among 124
counties included in the survey.
WEF estimated that the Philippines’ travel and
tourism industry last year amounted to $5.57 billion, reflecting a
4.4-percent annual growth with an employment of about 1.3 million
people.
The travel and tourism industry contributed
about $12.3 billion to the Philippine economy.
“Our study is not a ‘beauty contest’ on
the attractiveness of a country. Rather, we aim to measure the
factors that make it attractive to develop the travel and tourism
industry of individual countries. The top-ranked countries
demonstrate the importance of supportive business and regulatory
frameworks, coupled with world-class transport and tourism
infrastructure and a focus on nurturing human and natural
resources,” Jennifer Blanke, WEF Global Competitiveness Network
senior economist said.
In terms of regulatory framework, the
Philippines scored 4.1 points; business environment and
infrastructure, 3.2; and human cultural and natural resources, 3.8
points.
The travel and tourism competitive survey
measures the factors and policies that make it attractive to develop
the said sector in different countries.
The WEF also scored a number of
“pillars” of travel and tourism competitiveness. It included
policy rules and regulations, of which the Philippines scored 4.4;
environmental sustainability, 4.3; safety and security, 4; health
and hygiene, 3.6; and prioritization of travel and tourism, 4.4.
For air transport infrastructure, the country
scored 2.9; ground transport infrastructure, 3.2; tourism
infrastructure, 2.3; information and communication technology (ICT)
infrastructure, 2.1; price competitiveness, 5.5; human capital, 3.8;
education and training, 5; availability of qualified labor, 5; and
cultural resources, 2.
European, North American countries ahead
Switzerland ranked first with 5.63 followed by
Austria and Germany with 5.43 and 5.41, respectively. Included in
the top ten are Iceland, United States, Hong Kong, Canada,
Singapore, Luxembourg and United Kingdom.
The Philippines ranked below other Southeast
Asian countries like Malaysia, ranking 32nd; Thailand, 42nd; and
Indonesia, 80th. But the country was ahead of Vietnam, which was
ranked at 96.
The travel and tourism competitiveness index
uses a combination of data from publicly available sources,
international travel and tourism institutions and experts from the
industry, as well as the results of the executive opinion survey,
and a comprehensive annual survey conducted by the WEF.
The WEF is an independent international
organization committed to improving the state of the world by
engaging leaders in partnerships to shape global, regional and
industry agendas.
Incorporated as a foundation in 1971, and based
in Geneva, Switzerland, the organization is non-profit, with no
political, partisan or national interests.
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