Travel agencies back Tourism Act

CEBU, Philippines - The National Association of Independent Travel Agencies Association, Inc.(Naitas) and tourism industry players expressed their full support for the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the Republic AC 9593, otherwise known as the Tourism Act, paving the way for the establishment of the Tourism Congress.

“We feel more stable with the creation of the Tourism Congress, provided for in the Act. This sense of security is from the assurance that private sector players now have a say in the direction of tourism in our country,” said Naitas national president Angel Bognot.

The initial step in the implementation of RA 9593, the first-ever Tourism Congress was convened, comprising of representatives of the tourism sector. This development highlighted the important working relationship between the Philippine government and private tourism institutions and allied enterprises.

This set-up truly provided for a greater representation of tourism stakeholders in the country, and a more active involvement in the country’s promotional efforts, Bognot said.

“Tourism Secretary Joseph Durano and the DOT Task Force complied with the mandates of the law to the best way they could. All the procedures were followed; others who are airing complaints might have other motives,” Bugnot said.

Mina Gabor, former tourism secretary who was elected presiding officer for the first session of the Tourism Congress, also backed the IRR, including the next steps taken after its promulgation. “I was part of the consultative meetings in drafting the set of rules and guidelines, and further on in crafting the body’s constitution and by-laws.”

“The Task Force tasked to craft the IRR had done extensive consultations from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, which resulted to an encompassing perspective of the industry,” Gabor emphasized.

Acknowledging that the IRR is an essential tool for the Tourism Act to be carried out smoothly, Ma. Paz Alberto, President of the Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA), shared, “We trust the members of the Task Force, with their 40-year and 20-year track records, who have painstakingly done their part in making sure that everything was covered.”

These pronouncements were made by industry players amid criticisms claiming that the IRR ‘created so many divisions with overlapping and duplicating functions.’   Contrary to this, participants of the Tourism Congress are convinced that the new set-up provided by the new tourism law, needed a specific organizational flow, which was integral in determining key roles and responsibilities.

“At this stage, where everything is a work-in-progress, certain issues are perhaps ‘birth pains’ we all need to undergo. However we must remember that being proactive plays a big part. We should stick to pushing the industry forward, not pulling it down,” Alberto noted.

The Congress convened for the second time on December 16, 2009, and is scheduled to meet again by the end of January to submit their nominations for the DOT’s attached agencies; namely, the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), the Tourism Infrastructure and Economic Zone Authority (TIEZA), and the Duty Free Philippines Corporation (DFPC).

Charlie Uy, President of the Boracay Chamber of Commerce and Industry and elected President of the Tourism Congress, said, “[With the Tourism Act in place] it is very historical that the private sector is given a very significant role in shaping the future of the industry. What we need now is to work together for the betterment of tourism in the country.”