Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr urges tourists in a statement not to forget the Philippines to help maintaining activities and employments for locals.
MANILA – Philippines Department of Tourism (DOT) is appealing to foreign tourists to continue visiting the Philippines as this can help speed up rebuilding efforts following the devastation caused by the recent calamities that hit the country.
“Tourism continues to be one of the major contributors to the economy, playing a significant role in rebuilding lives and businesses in communities,” Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr. said in a statement.
The towns that were severely affected are located in the provinces of Leyte and Eastern Samar, as well as a few places in the Southern Tagalog Region (particularly Coron in Palawan).
The DOT is focused on the safety and monitoring of tourist movement in all affected areas and has no reports so far of any endangerment. The DOT’s objective is to focus on quick recovery so that tourism income is restored at the soonest possible time. Bulletin announcements will be posted via the DOT website (tourism.gov.ph), while DOT overseas and regional offices are also on standby to assist potential travellers and those already in the country for travel information. Local tour companies are in constant communication with their counterparts abroad to provide updates on the situation.
“The Philippines remains a safe and fun destination for all tourists, notwithstanding some unfortunate incidents”, stated the Secretary.
Ramon Jimenez assures “the travelling public that tourism establishments and tourism activities continue and remain in operation in the other parts of the Philippines, which play host to some of the country’s key tourist destinations”, he indicated.
“The great majority of touristic products are available, whether one is looking for a beach vacation, historical trip, gastronomic tour, or one of the many other possible travel opportunities. The country is home to some of the world’s great tourist sites and adventures with its unparalleled natural wonders, spectacular beaches, world-renowned heritage sites, modern shopping complexes, rich biodiversity, culture, and history”, added the Tourism Secretary.
The top destinations in the Visayas Region continue to be accessible through their respective ports of entry: Boracay Island through Kalibo and Caticlan, Cebu through the Mactan International Airport, Bohol through the Tagbilaran Airport, Iloilo through the Iloilo and Bacolod Silay Airports, and Puerto Princesa, Palawan through the Puerto Princesa Airport.
“Tourism continues to be one of the major contributors to the economy, playing a significant role in rebuilding lives and businesses in communities. We rely on our partners, both in the private and public sectors, to embark on initiatives that will help us achieve normalcy and sustain the tourism growth, particularly in the affected destinations”, stressed Mr. Jimenez.
The two natural disasters which struck the Philippines in October and November are likely to affect foreign visitors arrivals. From January to August of this year, growth in arrivals reached 11.28% from 2,858,348 last year to 3,180,903 this year. The 3.18 million arrivals marked another milestone as it is the first time that visitor arrivals achieved the three million figure in August. Last year, the country received the third millionth visitor in September while in 2011, it reached the 3 million arrivals in October. Originally forecasts predicted the country to welcome 4.5 million international travellers this year.
For this year alone, tourism receipts – the money spent by foreign visitors in travelling to the country – is seen to reach US$4.95 billion. Next year, it is expected that the receipts would further increase to $6.07 billion. In 2011, it stood at $2.99 billion and grew to $3.82 billion in 2012.
Luc Citrinot a French national is a freelance journalist and consultant in tourism and air transport with over 20 years experience. Based in Paris and Bangkok, he works for various travel and air transport trade publications in Europe and Asia.
