DOTourism lacks a competent leader

I don’t always enjoy being proven right specially when it means my country goes down some more notches in the world’s esteem. This is why I met with sadness the news that our country has gone down again in travel and tourism competitiveness as measured by the World Economic Forum (the same guys who do Davos… whose annual meeting in the Swiss Alps Ate Glue loves to attend at great public expense).

The Philippines dropped to 86th place this year, down from an already embarrassingly low 81st last year. As if the indignity is not enough, we were overtaken by Syria, yes, the country in volatile and strife torn Middle East, suspected to be a supporter of terrorism. Syria soared from last year’s ranking of 94 to this year’s 85. Of course we have long been overtaken by our neighbors with Singapore at 10th place, Hong Kong at 12th, Malaysia at 32nd, Taiwan at 43rd, Sri Lanka, which was until recently in a state of war was 78th and Indonesia at 81st. I can’t wait to hear Tourism Secretary Durano’s excuses.

According to the WEF website, they measured the different regulatory and business-related issues that have been identified as levers for improving travel and tourism competitiveness in countries around the world. These are the very same things I have been saying should have preoccupied Mr. Durano, the things I called his homework, rather than his many foreign junkets.

“Our study aims to measure the factors that make it attractive to develop the travel and tourism industry of individual countries. The top rankings of Switzerland, Austria, Germany, France and Canada demonstrate the importance of supportive business and regulatory frameworks, coupled with world-class transport and tourism infrastructure, and a focus on nurturing human and natural resources for fostering an environment that is attractive for developing the travel and tourism sector,” said Jennifer Blanke, Senior Economist of the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Network.

The rankings are based on the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI) covering 133 countries around the world. The TTCI uses a combination of data from publicly available sources, international travel and tourism institutions and experts, as well as the results of the Executive Opinion Survey, a comprehensive annual survey conducted by the World Economic Forum, together with its network of Partner Institutes (leading research institutes and business organizations) in the countries covered by the report.

“To thrive, or even survive, in this period of uncertainty and change, both the travel and tourism industry, and destinations themselves will need to approach the challenges in a holistic and systemic manner. This would allow innovative ideas to emerge, new directions to be taken, new alliances to be forged and profits to be reaped,” said Thea Chiesa, Head of Aviation, Travel and Tourism at the World Economic Forum.

“Competitiveness is built with efficiencies across the entire travel and tourism value chain. This study highlights the benchmarks of best practice that will determine winning destinations. Luring an airline to start or increase transport links is critical in developing tourism markets. But long-term success can only be built with coordinated government policies,” said Giovanni Bisignani, Chief Executive Officer and Director-General of the International Air Transport Association.

“Many economic stimulus packages are currently focusing on infrastructure development. The TTCI demonstrates the importance of infrastructure provision for tourism competitiveness. It’s time for industry and governments to work jointly together to consider the implications for tourism in infrastructure planning,” said Larry Dwyer, Qantas Professor of Travel and Tourism Economics, Australian School of Business, University of New South Wales.

All those comments are nothing new. In fact, those were the very same things I have been writing about in this column. The problem with Tourism Secretary Durano and his large bureaucracy at DOT is that they have little understanding of what ought to be done. Or maybe, refuse to do what they know should be done.

They put the cart before the horse when they insist on gallivanting abroad supposedly on marketing missions even before making sure the country’s tourism infrastructure can take in those tourists. In the end, the few tourists they do attract experience our lousy infrastructure and word gets around. Nothing kills a bad product (in the sense it is not yet fully developed) faster than premature marketing.

I understand that everyone is a sucker for a foreign junket at tax payer expense. They take the cue from Ate Glue herself. It is also takes no brains for the Tourism Secretary to cut ribbons and pose for photos with beauty queens rather than doing his homework and lobbying his fellow Cabinet members and the President for budgets to get vital roads and airports done in our most promising tourism areas. That sad excuse of an airport in Caticlan, gateway to Boracay, our prime tourism attraction, is proof of this inadequacy on the part of the Tourism Secretary and his bloated and ineffective bureaucracy. The Philippine Tourism Authority, a milking cow for politicians, has also been an utter failure in using our travel taxes for better tourism infrastructure.

In fact, the first thing Mr. Durano should have done when he assumed his post was to work hard to get the Tourism bill passed. Well, it was finally passed after a long four and a half years but no thanks to Mr. Durano who didn’t lift a finger to convince his colleagues in the House to speed its passage. It was Sen. Richard Gordon, a former Tourism Secretary, who did the lonely task of shepherding the bill through Congress. Thanks also to a group of private sector tourism entrepreneurs who lobbied intensely for the passage of the bill.

The Tourism bill provides the framework for the development of our tourism industry into something that is competitive in a world class sense. Among others, it mandates the creation of the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority and Tourism Economic Zones that will provide the incentives for private sector to invest more intensively in the industry.

According to Sen. Gordon, the faithful implementation of this measure will ensure the nation can have a better institution to regulate and promote tourism and install the necessary infrastructure to make our country truly tourism world class. Dick envisions a tourism industry that is vibrant enough to provide more jobs here at home so that our people no longer have to find their future in foreign soil.

Indeed, I agree with Sen. Gordon that the tourism industry is the fastest and the most efficient way of generating foreign exchange, investments and employment. In economic terms, the local value added in tourism is almost a hundred percent. And tourism’s economic impact on local communities is easily felt.

For a while Ate Glue had the right men to head tourism with her appointment of Dick Gordon and later on, Obet Pagdanganan to head it. Dick had the passion and the vision for the job and still has. Obet had the marketing skills and discipline acquired through many years of working with Unilever. But when sheer political considerations led to the appointment of Mr. Durano, I knew all was lost.

Give credit to Tourism Secretary Durano in getting publicity for himself and getting his face on the covers of glossy magazines to give the impression that he is doing his job. But the proof of his ineffectiveness is the anemic growth rate of tourism arrivals compared to our neighbors, specially if we net out the balikbayans and half of the Koreans who are virtually permanent residents here. Now, the WEF competitiveness report proves what I have been saying for so long now about the absence of competent leadership at DOT.

I am sure his many defenders in media will disagree with me. But it is no longer just my opinion. The Pearl of the Orient… the land of breathtaking natural wonders and hospitable people was overtaken in tourism competitiveness by such troubled countries like Syria and Sri Lanka according to a credible international survey. This is such a waste specially because we need the jobs and the foreign exchange the tourism industry can generate in this hardest of economic times.

Let us hope the President quickly signs this Gordon bill into law and implements it seriously. Sayang naman kasi kung parang dating gawi lang.

Blessings

Reader Cora E, a senior citizen herself, advises fellow senior citizens to stop complaining about the loss of wealth because of the financial meltdown. Dami palang blessings pag tumatanda, Cora E writes. May SILVER sa hair. Gold sa ngipin, Precious STONES sa kidney, SUGAR sa dugo, OIL sa face at GAS sa tiyan.

What can I say? Can’t wait for next year to start enjoying Cora E’s bounties… not to mention the discounts on food and medicines.

Boo Chanco’s e-mail address is [email protected]