RP tourism prepares for post-crisis world economy

Philippine tourism stakeholders are making the necessary preparations to exploit the uptrend in business once the crisis is over, according to one of its pillars.

Dr. Robert Lim Joseph, chair emeritus of the National Association of Independent Travel Agencies (Naitas), said “local tourism would not sit idly but would be busy improving the tourism infrastructure, upgrading quality of tour packages as well as the skills of the industry workers.”

Joseph said the international financial meltdown is an opportunity for the tourism industry to take stock of its condition and correct whatever is defective, in line with the Maoist saying of “one step backward, two steps forward.”

For example, he said, it is not enough to offer cheap tours but to offer quality experience at an affordable rate for a true value package.

Joseph, honorary consult of Latvia to the Philippines, said tourism stakeholders should also pinpoint the country’s comparative advantages and draft plans to exploit them to the maximum when the world is ready to go on vacation again.

“There is much to be done, like identifying new markets and new tourist destinations, upgrade existing ones, as well as improving the roads and bridges and facilities in tourist places, while preparing new marketing campaigns for value tours,” he said.

Joseph said this will put the country’s tourism at least a step ahead of the rest, especially those in Asia, when the world economy settles down and recovers.

“The key here is the unity of the local tourism stakeholders under the leadership of the Department of Tourism so that the industry moves as one and succeeds,” he said.

In this connection, Joseph reiterated his call for the industry to rally around the Tourism department, supporting its champion in the person of Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano.

This is necessary because the slump in tourism is expected to be felt by the first quarter of next year, which is just two months away, he said.