CEBU, Philippines - Aside from its thrust to promote the country as one of the world’s top tourist destinations, the Department of Tourism (DOT) also aims to make doing business “more fun” in the Philippines.
Last July 30 and 31, DOT revealed its plans to improve the investment climate during the recent Asian Development Bank (ADB) Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) seminars in Davao City and Cebu City.
Being reviewed under the DOT-AB RIA program, implementation of the accommodation standards for hotels and designation of tourism enterprise zones will take effect nationwide by December 2012.
To address the lodging requirements and satisfaction of both foreign and domestic travelers, accommodation facilities shall be in compliant to the New Accreditation Standards for Hotels, Resorts, and Apartment Hotels that will adopt a star grading system from 1 to 5 stars.
In line with this, DOT Regional Director Rowena Montecillo revealed that as for Central Visayas, they are still scheduling on a strategic plan for the entire region that will be good until 2016 wherein all those involved such as the local government units, private stakeholders, and business chambers shall convene for a workshop.
The strategic planning workshop, she added, may start in September this year in which certain decrees of the tourism development areas such as the star system classification for accommodation establishments and online accreditation will be laid out before yearend.
It will also include determining priority areas and markets to be tapped that would result to easier, shorter and faster system for investors in the region to comply with the requirements, thus enticing more prospects to venture in accommodation, activities, services and food and beverage industries.
She cited that accreditation of tourism-related enterprises involves the assessment of the area in terms of safety and other regulations.
Tourism roadmaps are also laid out for some provinces in the region such as Bohol, Siquijor and Negros Oriental and some municipalities in Cebu.
Objectives of the National Tourism Development Plan for 2016 include 10 million international visitors, 35.5 million domestic travelers, 8.1-percent industry contribution to the Gross Domestic Product, and 1 percent share to the national employment.
DOT believes that the upsurge on tourist arrivals for both international and domestic travel fuels the increase in capacity requirements and demand for new products, facilities and services which will lead to further local and foreign investment opportunities.
It also encourages investments in tourism estates and ecozones, historic- cultural heritage projects, eco-tourism, agri-tourism, and health and wellness projects.
One of the suggested destinations to invest in the country that are cited in the agency’s website included Cebu which is recognized as a highly urbanized center next to Manila and the province of Bohol, known to be the home of the tarsier and the Chocolate Hills. (FREEMAN)