Super-Tourism!
Super-Tourism is how Undersecretary Phineas Alburo defines the Department of Tourism's strategy to develop the Tourism Super Region defined in President GMA's 2006 SONA. Comprising Regions 5,6,7,8 and Palawan, the Super Region includes the country's most popular tourist destinations.
Going beyond the traditional approach of simply marketing the Philippines as a tourist destination, the DOT's wholistic strategy incorporates the whole spectrum of tourism-related issues.
"Infrastructure first, Programs second," says Alburo, explaining the DOT's new role coordinating tourism related infrastructure projects of DOTC and DPWH. "We need to focus on building the roads, bridges, and RO-RO Seaports going to tourist destinations, next, we need to involve the local communities in providing tourist services."
Aside from the usual beaches and resorts, the tourism strategy aims to develop tourism products in three areas: 1) Heritage Sites comprising old Spanish fortresses, historical churches, homes, and estates. 2) Wellness and Spa resorts where tourists can relax and provide employment to hundreds of wellness professionals. 3) Medical Tourism, in coordination with the Department of Health, encouraging foreign nationals to avail of our value priced, yet state of the art, medical facilities.
U.S. Tourists comprise the bulk of foreign arrivals at 40%, but Alburo would like to see more third generation Filipino-Americans visit the Islands. "Many of these Filipino nationals have never seen the land of their ancestry. We would like to invite them over to visit the Philippines and bring their mainstream American friends," says Alburo.
Third generation Filipino-Americans are more likely to invest in the Philippines, according to DOT's studies, investing in Philippine real estate and helping Philippine based relatives establish businesses.
The next most important audience are the Koreans and the Japanese, many of whom fly directly to Cebu for rest and relaxation. Cebu's International Airport handles 42 International flights a week, 21 of which travel routes to Korea and Japan.
Intra-South East Asian tourism is also booming. With direct flights to Hong Kong, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Taipei, Cebu is the preferred destination for recreational tourists looking for a quick getaway.
Another important market, according to Alburo, is the so-called M.I.C.E. Market: Meetings, Incentive travel, Conventions, and Exhibitions. The forthcoming ASEAN convention is an extraordinary example of convention tourism. With two thousand official delegates, and four thousand expected guests, the ASEAN summit will help promote Cebu and the Philippines to the entire region.
Promoting local tourism is another key element in the tourism strategy. Local tourists help maintain the tourist infrastructure by providing a year round market for tourism service providers. The DOT identifies two segments in the local tourism market: The first are tourists from other parts of the country, and the second are tourists from within the provinces themselves.
"Many Cebuanos have not seen the northern and southern ends of the island, and we encourage them to traverse the island to visit resorts and other interesting spots," says Alburo. "The same is true of any other island in the Philippines, and encouraging local travel helps develop the infrastructure to service all kinds of tourists."
Involving the local communities is another key element in the wholistic strategy.
"We're encouraging local communities to train tour guides and produce souvenirs, while encouraging tour operators to avail of local services. For instance, we actively discourage operators from bringing along packed lunches, directing them to local caterers and restaurants for their tourist meals," says Alburo, citing their current pilot project in the Olango Island nature reserve near Mactan.
Alburo is also encouraged by our discussion about liberalizing the telecommunications infrastructure, something he promised to discuss with the DOTC and NTC during their next meeting.
If we can provide free and low-cost Community Internet access in our tourist spots, Alburo believes it will encourage tourists to stay longer, and provide the community with up-to-date information on the latest industry trends.
When the Department of Tourism talks about marketing the Philippines, that's just tourism, but when it takes a wholistic approach, considering every aspect of the tourism experience, and involves the local communities as partners, they've gone one step beyond into a strategy that can only be called Super-Tourism.
