LAST June 25, the Department of Tourism (DOT) announced that the tourist volume rose 5.4 percent to 3.65 million in the first five months of the year compared from the previous year, with foreign travelers driving the growth. The foreign visitors totaled 1.19 million in the five-month period, accounting for 32.5 percent of the total volume.
With such noteworthy statistics, outgoing Tourism Secretary Ace Durano attested that these are signals that the DOT ensures the country’s sustained growth in tourist arrivals and investments in the coming years, and at the same time constantly create opportunities for increased local employment.
With 7,107 islands (divided broadly into three main geographical areas: Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao), the Philippines is one country which is not lacking in places to visit and wonders to enjoy. The pristine white sand beaches of Boracay, the amazing limestone cliffs of Coron, Palawan, the mysterious caves of Sagada, Mountain Province, the Spanish nostalgia which abound in Vigan, Ilocos or the perfect diving spots in Anilao, Batangas—these are what every tourist’s dream are made of. The Philippines is one tourist haven indeed. Thus, it comes as a no surprise that people from all over the world will flock to the country in order to discover and see for themselves those 7,107 glorious islands.
However, in the past years with the country burdened with political turmoil and economic issues, measures to promote the country’s tourism had to take a back seat to measures to eliminate graft and corruption in the government and alleviate the increasing poverty of the masses. But now that newly inaugurated President Noynoy Aquino has promised to address these issues that have longed plagued our political system and our country, chances are we are well on our way to an image overhaul. With neighborhood countries like Thailand profiting from its flourishing tourism for years now, attracting foreign investors; it is time that we catch up and take advantage of our country’s potential as a top tourist destination and as an investment draw.
Newly appointed DOT Secretary Alberto Lim and a previous director of the Makati Business Club (MBC), believes that tourism is a major engine for the country to grow—providing jobs in the countryside and helping reduce poverty in the process.
For now, it is still a dream: our country earning the title as Asia’s top tourist destination instead of Asia’s most corrupt country. But at least now there is glimmering hope which will no doubt grow stronger and stronger as time goes by that yes, it can happen. (AJPress)
( www.asianjournal.com )
( Published July 2, 2010 in ASian Journal REd Carpet p. A6 )
