THE UPGRADING of airports in Western Visayas is, without question, a welcome development. New passenger terminal buildings, longer runways, modern baggage systems, flight information displays, and safer airside facilities should bring regional gateways closer to global standards. Travelers passing through Iloilo International Airport, Antique Airport, and Roxas Airport have long been pining for a more orderly, comfortable, and dignified air travel.
But are better airports alone enough to make Western Visayas globally competitive as a tourism destination?
The honest answer is no.
Modern terminals and extended runways are only the foundation. Competitiveness begins where convenience ends. A gleaming airport that handles jet aircraft means little if flights remain limited, schedules inflexible, and airfares uncompetitive. An expanded terminal becomes underutilized if only a handful of weekly flights serve it. Infrastructure, after all, is only as useful as the traffic it attracts.
Take Antique Airport. It can now handle jet aircraft, boasts a vastly expanded terminal, and offers safer and more efficient operations. Yet it remains served by only a few flights per week. For tourists — especially foreign visitors and time-pressed domestic travelers — frequency matters as much as facility quality. No amount of architectural improvement can compensate for the inconvenience of scarce flight options.
This is where the real gaps emerge.
Airport upgrades must be matched by aggressive efforts to attract carriers. Landing fees, promotional partnerships, route subsidies, and risk-sharing mechanisms are standard tools used by tourism-driven regions worldwide. Without them, airlines will continue to favor established hubs, leaving provincial airports underused despite their readiness.
Destination marketing is also important. Western Visayas has world-class assets — beaches, mountains, food culture, festivals, and heritage — but airports do not sell destinations on their own. Coordinated campaigns linking flights to experiences are essential. A traveler should not just land comfortably; they should land knowing exactly why they came and why they should return.
And of course, inter-agency coordination is a must. The responsibility does not end with construction. Agencies like the Department of Transportation and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines must work hand in hand with tourism offices, local governments, and the private sector to ensure that infrastructure translates into economic activity. Clean, efficient airports are expected; vibrant, well-connected destinations are earned.
Western Visayas is clearly moving in the right direction. The investments show seriousness and vision. But tourism competitiveness is not achieved by concrete alone. It requires flights that are frequent, routes that are viable, promotions that are compelling, and policies that recognize airports not just as transport facilities but as economic engines.
If the goal is truly to make the region globally competitive, then the next phase must begin now — beyond ribbon-cutting, beyond facilities, and squarely into strategy. Only then will airport convenience evolve into genuine tourism competitiveness, and only then will the government-promised “ginhawa” be felt not just by travelers, but by the communities that depend on tourism to thrive.
