Philippine Govt expects tourist arrivals to increaseTOURISM Secretary Jose Ace Durano has expressed optimism that more tourists will visit the country as the Philippines is one of the great performers in Asia.
Last year, he said, tourist arrivals in the country reached 2.9 million from 2.6 million in 2005.
"We already added millions of tourists," he noted.
Durano said the Department of Tourism (DoT) is still maintaining its aim of getting an eight to 10 per cent growth in tourists arrivals in 2007.
He said this year, the DoT's marketing team is promoting Philippine tourism in Australia, Russia, Germany and India. The DoT is also reviving promotion in Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan.
"We market this together because the tourists' characteristics complement with one another," Durano said.
To accommodate the expected influx of tourists, especially in Central Philippines, there will be 3,000 additional new hotel rooms available this year in Boracay, Cebu and Palawan, he added.
Durano said he was bent on facing the challenges in boosting the country's tourism industry that he would not run for any elective position in the May 14 elections.
"I am not running. I've already made my point to continue my work and face the challenges," he said, reacting to news reports that the administration party had persuaded him to run for senator.
Durano said he believed that the DoT had laid the foundation for creating sustainable demand in tourism industry by institutionalizing the portfolio approach.
The tourism industry also generated millions of employment opportunities, he added.
Based on the National Statistics Office record in 2006, there were 3.7 million employees directly employed in the tourism industry.
Durano said both the private and government sectors had contributed in the development of the country's tourism industry.
The Bureau of Immigration and the Department of Foreign Affairs are now in the tourism bandwagon, he added.
Durano said the opening of the Marco Polo Hotel, the former Cebu Plaza Hotel which is now owned by Metrobank, was proof that different sectors in society are joining the tourism bandwagon.
"The owner (Metrobank) of Marco Polo Hotel is a nontraditional investor for a hotel, yet it has invested in the tourism industry,"
Last year, he said, tourist arrivals in the country reached 2.9 million from 2.6 million in 2005.
"We already added millions of tourists," he noted.
Durano said the Department of Tourism (DoT) is still maintaining its aim of getting an eight to 10 per cent growth in tourists arrivals in 2007.
He said this year, the DoT's marketing team is promoting Philippine tourism in Australia, Russia, Germany and India. The DoT is also reviving promotion in Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan.
"We market this together because the tourists' characteristics complement with one another," Durano said.
To accommodate the expected influx of tourists, especially in Central Philippines, there will be 3,000 additional new hotel rooms available this year in Boracay, Cebu and Palawan, he added.
Durano said he was bent on facing the challenges in boosting the country's tourism industry that he would not run for any elective position in the May 14 elections.
"I am not running. I've already made my point to continue my work and face the challenges," he said, reacting to news reports that the administration party had persuaded him to run for senator.
Durano said he believed that the DoT had laid the foundation for creating sustainable demand in tourism industry by institutionalizing the portfolio approach.
The tourism industry also generated millions of employment opportunities, he added.
Based on the National Statistics Office record in 2006, there were 3.7 million employees directly employed in the tourism industry.
Durano said both the private and government sectors had contributed in the development of the country's tourism industry.
The Bureau of Immigration and the Department of Foreign Affairs are now in the tourism bandwagon, he added.
Durano said the opening of the Marco Polo Hotel, the former Cebu Plaza Hotel which is now owned by Metrobank, was proof that different sectors in society are joining the tourism bandwagon.
"The owner (Metrobank) of Marco Polo Hotel is a nontraditional investor for a hotel, yet it has invested in the tourism industry,"
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