Gordon reiterates need to pass Tourism Act

Sen. Richard Gordon called yesterday for the immediate enactment of the Tourism Act of 2006 to make tourism a major income-generating industry.

The former tourism secretary and now chairman of the Senate committee on tourism also appealed for full support from the tourism industry at the start of the summer season.

"Even with the boom in tourism we’re experiencing now, the industry has yet to reach its full potential," he said. "It is a sleeping giant that can generate jobs and opportunities for everyone."

Gordon said investing in tourism would mean jobs and opportunities, not just for waiters and bellboys, but also bankers and lawyers that will help bring in big investments.

"This is the power of tourism," he said.

The Department of Tourism (DOT) had earlier announced that there were 2.623 million tourist arrivals to the Philippines in 2005, surpassing the 2.5-million target it set earlier that year.

But Gordon said the 2.6 million arrivals were expected.

"In fact the 2.6 million was achieved because of reforms (and the) continuing and strengthening international promotions which led to RP tourism growth over the last five years," he said.

Gordon said the country should get a bigger slice of the tourism market, citing that in 2005, the World Tourism Organization reported that there were 808 million tourist arrivals in the whole world.

"With such a size of the global market, the Philippines accounts for less than one percent," he said.

"But we know how beautiful our country and culture are. The question is, are we ready to compete in the big time? Tourism is a global business.

"Are we ready to compete not just with Phuket and Bali or Hong Kong and Singapore, but with Paris, Rome, Madrid and New York?"

With an increased tourism market from 2.6 to 10 million, the country can raise around $10 billion or P500 billion annually to power the country’s economy, pay the foreign debt, and sustain educational and health needs, he added.

Gordon said study after study has been made on how to reform the tourism sector.

"We must remember that where tourism advances, poverty retreats," he said.

Gordon said the bill seeks to encourage investments in new hotels, resorts and other tourism enterprises through tax breaks and fast, friendly and efficient governance to truly create world-class establishments in the most beautiful, historical and culturally significant areas of our country.

The bill would make the Philippines a major global player in tourism, first, by strengthening tourism industry promotions; second, increasing the country’s tourist accommodations; and third, by rallying the public and private sectors to support tourism development, he added.

Gordon said the bill had significant revisions in the course of committee deliberations, with representatives of the private sector, the DOT and other government agencies responsible for budget and investments.

"The Tourism Act of 2006 is not simply about tourism or its economic impact," he said.

"It is ultimately about building our self-worth as a people, not only through the dignity of work through investments generated, but in a genuine awareness of the richness of our history and culture, and the beauty of our country."

Many of the proposals have been incorporated into the Tourism Act of 2006, he added.

The bill seeks to create Tourism Philippines, a corporation combining the functions of the Philippine Convention and Visitors Corp., the Philippine Tourism Authority and the promotions and marketing departments of the DOT to strengthen the promotion of the tourism industry.

To be governed principally by private sector representatives, Tourism Philippines will be supported by a funding scheme that would generate at least $100 million, of which at least half would be spent on the promotion of the Philippine tourism industry.

Meanwhile, Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano said that as a result of the booming local tourism industry, the country might soon be facing a dearth of tourism workers. — Christina Mendez, Mayen Jaymalin