CLARK FREEPORT – An estimate of 3.3 million tourists who visited the Philippines last year was hailed as unprecedented, but the Department of Tourism (DOT) has admitted that such figure lands the country merely sixth in terms of tourist arrivals among the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Socorro Caraig, chief of the accreditation division of the DOT, revealed this during her briefing before the recent national convention held here by the National Association of Independent Travel Agencies of the Philippines, Inc. (NAITAP), as she noted “outdated” tourism standards in the country which the government is now upgrading.
She cited statistics indicating that annual tourist arrivals in the Philippines was estimated at only 3.3 million, which is sixth in ranking below Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia and Vietnam.
Malaysia’s annual tourist arrivals reach about 25 million, she noted. The other ASEAN members are Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar.
Caraig lamented that only 20 percent of tourism establishments in the country are with DOT accreditation.
This, amid estimates of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) that international visitor arrivals into Asia-Pacific grew by four percent “year-on-year” in May 2011, with the South Asia and South-east Asia sub-regions recording particularly strong performances for the month.
However, latest reports have indicated that tourist arrivals in the Philippines for the first seven months of 2011 reached a total of 2,280,184 or an 11.83 percent increase over last year’s 2,039,002 for the same period.
Monthly growth of visiting tourists have been noted this year, with the biggest arrivals registered in July with 360,784 arrivals while the month of February recorded the highest growth of 18.52 percent.
PATA noted that South-east Asia recorded the largest arrivals gain of 16 per cent during the month of May 2011, boosted by a 66 percent increase in arrivals in Thailand, as well as by strong 37 percent growth in Vietnam, 33 percent in Myanmar, 12 percent in Cambodia and and 11 percent in Singapore.
Caraig said that the DOT is now “evolving” tourism standards at par internationally, as she expressed confidence that eventually, all tourism facilities in the country would be accredited with the DOT.
She said that nationwide only 842 “primary” establishments ranging from hotels to home-stay lodges and only 180 “secondary” establishments which provide other tourist services such as restaurants, are DOT- accredited.
Caraig bared plans to include jeepneys among those qualified to be DOT-accredited, amid a total of 2,642 other vehicles already with accreditation.
She noted that tourism establishments with DOT accreditation can benefit from trainings and promotional strategies of the government, included in “sales missions” overseas, exempted from liquor ban, can be members of travel trade associations with endorsement from Philippine embassies, and entitled to airport pass endorsement in international ports.
