Tourism is everyone’s business

I am not the regretful type, but if I were given another chance to choose what course to take in college, I’d probably take up tourism.

For you to be in tourism, you have to have a knack for creative advertising. Just take a look at all the nice country ads playing on CNN, like "Incredible India" and "Malaysia Truly Asia."

In tourism, you also have to know a little bit about math, finance, and economics. For example, according to Patrick Gregorio, TOYM awardee for tourism in 2003, and now currently executive director of the North Philippines Visitors Bureau (NPVB), the Philippines gets around 2.5 million tourists annually, and, from these tourists, generates close to US $3 billion in tourism-related receipts (i.e., fees for hotels, restaurants, resorts, travel, etc.).

Thailand, on the other hand, has more than 11 million tourists, generating more than $12 billion in tourism-related receipts. You can look at Thailand being $9 billion richer than us every year as bad news, or you can look at these numbers as an opportunity. Because if you look at Thailand, it isn’t much different from the Philippines. In fact, the Philippines is better in a lot of respects. So if you’re into tourism, you must devise a plan to ensure that some of that money is diverted to the Philippines. That takes a lot of marketing, but that also takes a lot of financial planning and economics (e.g., what financial benefits, say, discounts, can we give to tourists to entice them to come over here instead of Thailand?).

Last but not least, you have to know a little bit about politics and international relations when you get into tourism. When promoting a place, you have to deal with all the political personalities in that place. And for you to market your place effectively to foreign tourists, you have to know a little bit about international relations. You can’t just barge into a country and start marketing the Philippines without knowing the intricacies and details of doing business there. You have to get some allies in that market – and that takes a lot of diplomatic skills.

I recently attended a Marketing Summit hosted by the Greater Subic Bay Tourism Bureau, spearheaded by White Rock and Mountain Woods owner George Lorenzana, and backed by Nilo Agustin, consultant of the Department of Tourism. George Lorenzana said, "We have a slogan, a rallying cry: ‘One team, one theme.’ This marketing summit is for us to get all Subic stakeholders to think as one. We want to emphasize that promoting tourism is everyone’s job. All of us must try to contribute in spreading the word that Subic – and the Philippines – is a great place to visit."

Personally, I have always believed that apart from OFW remittances, tourism is the key to our economic growth. The natural resources are there. The infrastructure is being set up (going to Subic is now just two hours, tops, thanks to the souped-up North Expressway).

All we have to do is spread the word.

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Thanks for your letters, folks! You may e-mail me at rodhnepo@yahoo.com.