Tourism groups cite GMA for rejecting ‘open skies’

Tourism-related groups lauded President Arroyo yesterday for rejecting an open skies policy because of its ruinous effects on the local airline and tourism industries.

The groups led by the Save Our Skies (SOS) movement and Network or Independent Travel Agencies (NITAS) said the President’s policy pronouncement on the aviation industry has ensured its survival as well as its long-term growth.

The SOS is a non-governmental organization of travel and tour operators, freight forwarders and other tourism-related firms espousing the protection of local industries while NITAS is an organization of 503 small and medium travel agencies that are not members of the International Association of Travel Agents (IATA).

"We are thankful that President Arroyo has supported a liberalized air policy instead of open skies as proposed by some misguided individuals," the groups said.

Robert Lim Joseph, SOS president; Angel Bognot, SOS vice president, and John Batacan, SOS board of trustees member, said open skies would not draw more tourists into the country, but improving security and the peace and order situation, building tourism infrastructure, and solving the perennial traffic problem, among others, would strengthen the government’s drive to boost tourism.

SOS is pushing for progressive liberalization or the gradual and rational expansion of air routes on the basis of market demand on a country-by-country and route-by-route basis, subject to reciprocity in negotiated bilateral agreements.

The groups had earlier expressed fears that a hasty liberalization of air policy would kill the local airline industry and subsequently businesses involved in tourism.

They shot down arguments that increasing the number of air seats and flight frequencies would prop up the declining tourism market.

"Issues like job layoffs, the impact on businesses that depend on domestic carriers for survival and the cutback in tourism promotions if local airliners fold up should be considered in talking about air policy," Bognot pointed out.

In an interview, President Arroyo said she preferred a "liberalized" policy over open skies for the country’s air transport system to protect the local airline industry from the adverse effects of free trade.

She said a liberalized air policy was consistent with her administration’s thrust to promote the country’s competitiveness as a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

The groups also praised Tourism Secretary Richard Gordon for embarking on a marketing campaign to promote the Philippines in such international programs as CNN and BBC.

"More foreigners now are taking a serious look at the Philippines as a tourist destination because of this innovative marketing initiative of Gordon," Joseph added.