China, HK tourists coming back, says DoT execBY NESTOR P. BURGOS, JR. / Philippine Daily Inquirer
BORACAY - The tourists from China and Hong Kong were coming back to the country slowly a month after the bloody hostage-taking incident in Manila, according to the Department of Tourism (DoT).
Simeon Marfori II, DoT undersecretary for tourism services and regional offices, said the tourist destinations affected by the travel advisory issued by Hong Kong advising its residents against going to the country were expected to recover soon after the release of the findings and recommendations of the Incident and Investigation Review Committee (IIRC).
“The recovery has started. There are reports of less cancellations and in fact new businesses coming in,” Marfori told the Philippine Daily Inquirer on the sidelines of the Visayas Media Forum held here over the weekend.
Marfori said the release of the investigation report was among the measures that would help hasten the normalization of travel from China and Hong Kong to the Philippines.
Hong Kong issued a “black alert” to its residents against traveling to the country after eight Hong Kong tourists died on August 23 in a botched police rescue and assault on the bus seized by slain hostage-taker dismissed Senior Inspector Rolando Mendoza.
China and Hong Kong ranked fourth and fifth, respectively, among the major tourist markets of the Philippines next to Korea, the US and Japan, says the DoT.
From January to April, 59,993 tourists from China came to the Philippines or 5.2 percent of the total foreign tourists from the country’s major tourism markets, while 47,715 visitors from Hong Kong visited the country or 4.14 percent.
Edwin Trompeta, tourism director in Western Visayas, said the tourism industry lost at least P100 million in canceled reservations and opportunity cost due to the hostage-taking incident. But Trompeta said the incident has not affected the number of visitors from the other countries.
Marfori said that while the DoT has been exerting efforts to bring back the tourists from China and Hong Kong, marketing was not the problem at this time.
“The problem [lies] in the perception of [China] and HK about our governance. What we do with the [IIRC] report is what we should work on ... to maintain our credibility and improve the perception of the Chinese and HK residents,” he said.
Marfori said this would involve acting on the recommendations of the report.
Henry Chusuey, BFI chair and owner of the Boracay Regency Beach Resort and Convention Center, said individual tourists from China and Hong Kong were going to Boracay but group tours have yet to resume.
Boracay is among the tourist destinations affected by the cancellation of reservations after the hostage-taking incident.
“We expect the groups to come again by the middle of November, Chusuey told the Inquirer on Sunday.
The DoT is targeting 3.327 million tourists this year and 3.593 million next year. It would soon launch a new tourism brand for the country that will involve advertising campaigns, use of online social networking sites and focusing on new markets like China, India, Russia and the Middle East, Marfori said.
Simeon Marfori II, DoT undersecretary for tourism services and regional offices, said the tourist destinations affected by the travel advisory issued by Hong Kong advising its residents against going to the country were expected to recover soon after the release of the findings and recommendations of the Incident and Investigation Review Committee (IIRC).
“The recovery has started. There are reports of less cancellations and in fact new businesses coming in,” Marfori told the Philippine Daily Inquirer on the sidelines of the Visayas Media Forum held here over the weekend.
Marfori said the release of the investigation report was among the measures that would help hasten the normalization of travel from China and Hong Kong to the Philippines.
Hong Kong issued a “black alert” to its residents against traveling to the country after eight Hong Kong tourists died on August 23 in a botched police rescue and assault on the bus seized by slain hostage-taker dismissed Senior Inspector Rolando Mendoza.
China and Hong Kong ranked fourth and fifth, respectively, among the major tourist markets of the Philippines next to Korea, the US and Japan, says the DoT.
From January to April, 59,993 tourists from China came to the Philippines or 5.2 percent of the total foreign tourists from the country’s major tourism markets, while 47,715 visitors from Hong Kong visited the country or 4.14 percent.
Edwin Trompeta, tourism director in Western Visayas, said the tourism industry lost at least P100 million in canceled reservations and opportunity cost due to the hostage-taking incident. But Trompeta said the incident has not affected the number of visitors from the other countries.
Marfori said that while the DoT has been exerting efforts to bring back the tourists from China and Hong Kong, marketing was not the problem at this time.
“The problem [lies] in the perception of [China] and HK about our governance. What we do with the [IIRC] report is what we should work on ... to maintain our credibility and improve the perception of the Chinese and HK residents,” he said.
Marfori said this would involve acting on the recommendations of the report.
Henry Chusuey, BFI chair and owner of the Boracay Regency Beach Resort and Convention Center, said individual tourists from China and Hong Kong were going to Boracay but group tours have yet to resume.
Boracay is among the tourist destinations affected by the cancellation of reservations after the hostage-taking incident.
“We expect the groups to come again by the middle of November, Chusuey told the Inquirer on Sunday.
The DoT is targeting 3.327 million tourists this year and 3.593 million next year. It would soon launch a new tourism brand for the country that will involve advertising campaigns, use of online social networking sites and focusing on new markets like China, India, Russia and the Middle East, Marfori said.
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