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HERE’S good news for a change. The Philippines has
advanced by five rungs in world tourism, according to the World
Economic Forum, ranking 81st among 130 countries surveyed.
The WEF’s Travel and Tourism
Competitiveness Report 2008 said Manila was 86th among 124 countries
polled last year. The report ranked the most attractive environments
for the travel and tourism industry, factoring in government policy,
regulations, environmental sustainability, safety and security,
health and hygiene and the priority given to tourism.
Tourism is a big moneymaker for
the Philippines. The WEF estimated that our hospitality industry
last year amounted to $5.57 billion, reflecting a 4.4- percent
annual growth with an employment of about 1.3 million people. Our
report yesterday said travel and tourism contributed about $12.3
billion to the national economy.
Tourism also boosts the national
image. It reflects foreign confidence in our stability,
infrastructure and sense of hospitality. Travel is a big come-on for
investments since businessmen are part of the tourist crowd and
their impressions count much for investment decisions.
Like housing, tourism has wide
multiplier effect, boosting the travel (ships, airlines, bus lines)
industry, the accommodations (hotels, condotels, tourist inns)
business, sports and entertainment, restaurants, handicraft,
historical and cultural centers and a wide constellation of local
attractions.
It has advanced significantly on
the programs of the Department of Tourism, Philippine Tourism
Authority and the Department of Foreign Affairs. The report on
arrivals for January is impressive. Problems remain however.
We have not reached the target we
have been aiming for in the last decade. Among Asean (Association of
Southeast Asian Nations) countries, Malaysia (ranked 32nd), Thailand
(42nd) and Indonesia (80th) outpace us. Singapore is in the top 10,
along with Iceland, the United States, Hong Kong, Canada, Luxembourg
and the United Kingdom. Vietnam is 96th, but Hanoi’s economy is
one of the fastest growing in the region, pulling along the tourist
trade.
The growing strength of the peso
could hurt tourism as travelers look elsewhere for cheaper
destinations. Reports say that many metro Manila establishments
prefer to receive peso, not dollar, payments for their services.
The government has reduced
paperwork for travel to the Philippines. Under the visa-upon-entry
program of the Bureau of Immigration and the DOT, tourists could
enter without visas, receiving them at points of entry. Their
character, purpose of business and length of stay are certified by
the association of travel agencies or individual travel companies.
What we fail to see is an effective monitoring system that tells us
how many tourists have left and how many have overstayed legally or
illegally.
Many kinks have to be ironed out
before we could achieve a robust and fully rewarding tourism
industry. By all means, we should widen the door to our visitors,
ensuring that a correct proactive policy environment actively backs
our culture of hospitality.
Political tourism
FILIPINOS have tried every
approach from traditional tourism, ecotourism to medical tourism. We
haven’t tried a potential winner—political tourism.
Philippine politics is unlike
many others. Partisanship is a crowning glory. Permissiveness is a
quality since it is not a crime for politicians to jump from one
party to another. Families and political dynasties rule local and
national elections. Succession is guaranteed by wealth.
This is a country where people
squabble about an election that is two or three years away. The only
place where many election outcomes are known in advance. All
candidates sincerely believe they could only lose to cheating. This
explains why concessions are rare.
The campaigns are unique. Issues
and platforms are never discussed. There has never been a
presidential debate in history. You cannot tell the parties or the
political coalitions from each other because no group offers honest
options. The messages and appeals are delivered to the voters
through dance-and-song onstage, donations, black propaganda,
motorcades and naked vote buying.
It takes weeks and months to know
the victors and the losers. Some election protests take so long the
real winner never gets to take his seat until the last day of the
congressional session or until the incumbent local official has bled
the treasury dry.
Filipinos may have contributed
“people power” to the world but now they are increasingly
embarrassed by “Edsa One” and “Edsa Two.” Mob power was
never an answer to misrule.
Gossips and rumors, especially
about military coups and civilian mutinies, are part of the
landscape. There is always a scandal—true or imagined—breaking
out each month. Media focus and coffeeshop talk keep the rumors
alive. The Congress spends as much time to investigations as to
lawmaking.
Foreigners have a lot to learn
from our politics. They could have their pick of the walking tours
to the presidential palace, the Batasan Building, the Senate
Executive Bldg., the Commission on Elections offices, city hall, the
provincial capitol and the numerous media forums. The campaign
period is highly recommended. Voting and ballot counting at the
precinct are instructive. The “political noise” is overwhelming.
Entertainment is guaranteed. We promise.
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