3M tourists in '06 - tourism chief Durano
BY NIDA GALLO
BY NIDA GALLO
THE tourism secretary gave an upbeat assessment of the tourism industry in the country this year and for the next years.
Department of Tourism Secretary Joseph "Ace" Durano said tourist arrivals in the country registered an eight to 10 percent growth for this year or about three million tourists visiting the country.
Durano foresees these figures to double in the coming years because of the country's thrust to include European Union (EU) countries in its tourism market.
"We are seeing good growth from the European countries," Durano told reporters.
Durano, however, cited the limitations that needed to be addressed to sustain the foreseen influx of tourists in the country - lack of "air seats and room capacity."
Durano said the country needs to have additional air seats and room capacity. The tourism department targeted to obtain over 500,000 air seats every year to accommodate more tourists.
Durano said the problem was being addressed and some airline companies had already expressed their intentions to expand their operations.
He also cited the additional 3,000 new rooms in Cebu, Boracay, and Bohol to accommodate more tourists.
"The demand is really strong and as of the present only limited people can be accommodated," Durano said.
The secretary also said he was not alarmed of the recent report of about 6,000 Koreans going to other countries instead of the Philippines.
According to the earlier report, Korean tourists changed travel plans and bypassed Cebu when they could no longer be accommodated due to lack of hotel rooms because of the 12th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit.
Durano clarified the Korean tourists did not push through with their plans to visit because of the series of typhoons that hit the country.
Durano was also optimistic that more tourists would visit the country with the opening of an international airport in Iloilo City in July and the planned construction of an international airport in Panglao, Bohol.
Durano said the land acquisition problem, which delayed the start of construction of the Panglao airport, was already resolved and construction of the airport would soon start.
The two upcoming international airports would serve as alternate international airports in Central Visayas aside from the Mactan Cebu International Airport, Durano said.
Department of Tourism Secretary Joseph "Ace" Durano said tourist arrivals in the country registered an eight to 10 percent growth for this year or about three million tourists visiting the country.
Durano foresees these figures to double in the coming years because of the country's thrust to include European Union (EU) countries in its tourism market.
"We are seeing good growth from the European countries," Durano told reporters.
Durano, however, cited the limitations that needed to be addressed to sustain the foreseen influx of tourists in the country - lack of "air seats and room capacity."
Durano said the country needs to have additional air seats and room capacity. The tourism department targeted to obtain over 500,000 air seats every year to accommodate more tourists.
Durano said the problem was being addressed and some airline companies had already expressed their intentions to expand their operations.
He also cited the additional 3,000 new rooms in Cebu, Boracay, and Bohol to accommodate more tourists.
"The demand is really strong and as of the present only limited people can be accommodated," Durano said.
The secretary also said he was not alarmed of the recent report of about 6,000 Koreans going to other countries instead of the Philippines.
According to the earlier report, Korean tourists changed travel plans and bypassed Cebu when they could no longer be accommodated due to lack of hotel rooms because of the 12th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit.
Durano clarified the Korean tourists did not push through with their plans to visit because of the series of typhoons that hit the country.
Durano was also optimistic that more tourists would visit the country with the opening of an international airport in Iloilo City in July and the planned construction of an international airport in Panglao, Bohol.
Durano said the land acquisition problem, which delayed the start of construction of the Panglao airport, was already resolved and construction of the airport would soon start.
The two upcoming international airports would serve as alternate international airports in Central Visayas aside from the Mactan Cebu International Airport, Durano said.
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