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Thursday, January 26, 2017
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ACCORDING to the Department of Tourism, this year’s Dinagyang was the most successful of all the festival’s editions. It cited the splendid performance of the participating tribes in the Kasadyahan and ati-ati tribes competitions, the record crowd that gathered to watch the performances, and positive reactions of the spectators that included dignitaries and foreign visitors.
Yes, Dinagyang is big tourism come-on. And there are others across the Philippines. But we’re not just talking of festivals that are seasonal tourist attractions. We have tourist spots that attract tourists year-round and sustain our tourism revenues. But why are our neighboring countries like Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore, and even Indonesia, attracting more tourists – by the millions each year! – than we do?
It’s about time DOT further boost its international marketing strategy to invite more foreign tourists. We should be more aggressive in our marketing strategies, especially by placing more Philippine tourism advertisements in international channels. We need to be top of mind among tourists.
We regularly see in top foreign news channels those tourism ads from our neighbors like “Malaysia Truly Asia”, “Incredible India”, and “Wonderful Indonesia”. The images are so riveting. Yes, we also want to see our country’s ad as often as the others. We should also be focused on our messaging because while we have a lot of beautiful tourist spots in the country, we must choose only one message that will reverberate in people’s minds.
Tourism infrastructure such as airports, seaports, roads and bridges is crucial in attracting more tourists, too. One competitive advantage of the Philippines over others in Asia is that it is able to position itself as a multiple-gateway destination. For instance, in Panay Island, there are three international airports — in Kalibo, Caticlan and Iloilo. However, problems on airport infrastructure and traffic remain. Tourism infrastructure must be improved. Perhaps we can start with the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. It must be decongested.
We should promote other international airports in the country, too, such as the Clark International Airport, which will be the gateway not only to Central Luzon but also to the Cordillera Region. On the other hand, other vital airports like the General Santos Airport, which is the gateway to Region 12 and even the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, need upgrade.
We have to improve our airports and seaports. These are where we first welcome tourists. They have a huge impact on the overall experience of visitors. The moment they step in, they should already feel welcome, happy and safe and they should leave our country feeling the same.
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