Confident to achieve the 3.5 million tourist arrivals target set for this year, Department of Tourism secretary Joseph Ace Durano is likewise optimistic that along the way, more jobs will be generated by tourism-based sectors this year.
Reports have shown that during the start of Durano’s office, tourism inflows experienced consistent growth. Beginning in 2004, the Philippines have recorded 2.4 million foreign arrivals which grew to 2.62 million in 2005 and 2.84 in 2006. Last year, the country generated a substantial 3.09 million visitors which brought in about 4.89 billion dollars forex receipts to the Philippine economy.
At this rate, DOT figures translated that the total number of direct employment in tourism was raised to 3.78 million which have significantly contributed to the country’s 31-year high economic growth of 7.3% last year.
And to help the industry meet the growing manpower requirements to sustain the country’s tourism boom particularly in Central Visayas that is now emerging as the country’s tourism hub, DOT held recently its annual job exposition dubbed as the 3rd “Trabaho sa Turismo Fair,” an event graced by no less than DOT Secretary Durano himself.
The fair aiming to bring together numerous tourism-based industries and sub markets to provide job opportunities to thousands of hopeful applicants not only coming from Cebu but as well as from neighboring provinces, showcased about 121 employers.
These employers were composed of airlines, shipping and cruises companies, recruitment firms, hotel, resorts and restaurants, travel agencies and tour operators, convention and exhibition centers and organizers, spa and wellness establishments, golf clubs, department stores, call centers and business process outsourcing firms, tourism suppliers, banks, schools, national government offices, and entertainment facilities and other institutions.
About 3, 000 applicants came to SM City Cebu, some have pre-registered on-line to secure their priority numbers while most were walk-ins.
In a press conference with the Cebu media, Durano said that about 2, 000 existing job vacancies were showcased in the fair and since most of these applicants will not get hired on the spot because they still have to go through a step-by-step process, these jobs would still be available on line at their www.tourismjobs.ph website even after the fair.
“Growth in the industry’s demand for skilled workers and professionals is quite enormous in the light of the country’s sustained increases in tourism volume. “Trabaho sa Turismo” provides an avenue where employers communicate face-to-face with their prospective employees. Cebu will have more than 1,000 rooms to open this year and so it is expected that more people will be needed,” said Durano.
In the case of career and degree mismatch, he said that they utilized a matching technology so that applicants will be guided into which companies would suit their qualifications. – Rhia de Pablo