It’s gung-ho for Philippine tourism in Guangzhou

For a country like the Philippines reeling from one crisis to another, attracting tourists is a daunting task. Tourists who read the papers, surf the Net, watch TV or listen to the radio have a working idea of what is happening here, there and everywhere. Two major areas of concern are safety and security. How safe are our streets? How secure are our resorts? How do we find the bright side in all the murky happenings in our country? Undeniably, the Philippines has a rich culture waiting to be explored, beautiful beaches waiting to be discovered, and friendly people waiting to give tourists a dose of our innate hospitality. Despite everything, our home can be a haven. Surely, there are more than enough reasons to attract tourists especially coming from China.

Recently, the Department of Tourism invited members of the press to Guangzhou, China for the Philippine Tourism Conference. We got a glimpse of how hard the government is working to reestablish the country’s image, to sell Philippine destinations, and to encourage not only tourists but foreign investors as well.

"China is a very important market for the Philippines," said Philippine Consul General for Guangzhou Erlinda Gavino during the presentation at the Garden Hotel in Guangzhou. "Since the Chinese market is growing rapidly, it is set to become one of the key source markets for international tourism."

We also learn that tourists can apply for a visitor visa for individuals or groups through accredited travel agencies in China.

Because of the Internet boom in China, people are well aware of what’s happening in our country (since news travels at gigabyte-speed). Of course, the impact could be devastating. However, Special Philippine Envoy for Tourism (China) Ambassador Alfredo Yao assured members of the press and guests at the presentation that the Philippines is one of the safest countries in the region.

"The country is implementing stricter security measures in tourists spots," Ambassador Yao said. "Last year, the Philippines performed very well with a 161 percent increase in registered Chinese tourists in 2005 (compared to the figures) in 2004."

Now, the major challenge is not only to maintain but also to increase the Chinese market.

Eduardo Jarque Jr., DOT assistant secretary for tourism planning and promotions, read Tourism Secretary Ace Durano’s speech:

"The Philippines offers a unique traveling experience. Approaching China as a market is daunting because the country is huge and mysterious. So we approached the market in depth – Guangzhou, Beijing and Shanghai. We focused our resources on those who are mostly inclined to visit tropical islands. China arrivals have reached the 100,000 mark and the DOT has surpassed the 56,000 annual target twice over."

On a high note, there are a lot of positive things happening for China. The RMB currency is appreciating. Chinese tourists are increasing because they have money to spend.

Colin Marson, senior consultant of Monitor Group, shared, "We had achieved 170 percent growth in 2005 the first year. From 2006 onwards, this would be enough to reach the goal. Given last year’s performance, the DOT’s goal to exceed 350,000 mainland arrivals by 2010 is much more doable."

The Philippines has only 0.2 percent of the outbound market, with Chinese arrivals of only 39,000. But since 2005, with Monitor Group working closely with the DOT, the arrivals increased by 0.3 percent, or by 110,000 tourists. Let us not unfairly compare ourselves to neighboring countries like Thailand and Indonesia. We have been doing a great job in promoting the country. Hopefully, the Philippines can capture its fair share of the market.

Given its limited resources, the DOT will be spending its small slice of the pie from the national budget in promoting the Philippines through different media channels. How does the Department plan on doing this? The DOT will sell the country through media familiarization trips, TV, print, and the Internet, as well as outdoor advertising, such as billboards, trains and elevators with the help of Chinese agencies and media to increase awareness that the Philippines is an "exceptional tropical destination for leisure."

The great thing is the Philippines’ brand positioning is now veering away from the mass-market segment and focusing on the "emerging elite of the Chinese urbanites." So, we are now being positioned like Japan and Indonesia, and not like Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore and the rest. With a stroke of luck, the country is relying on its beautiful beaches in Boracay, Cebu, Bohol, Davao, and Palawan for that ultimate relaxation holiday.

Here are some interesting vacation packages for Chinese tourists from the delegates at the Philippine Tourism Conference:

Marlyn Sim of Blue Horizons Travel and Tours Inc.: "We just started with the China market recently. We have scuba and golf packages. We also have the usual tours to Cebu, Bohol, Palawan and Boracay."

Sarina Chang, general manager of Jeron Travel & Tours: "We offer tours from Manila to Cebu, Boracay and Palawan. We have a five days-four nights tour wherever they want to go. From Manila, we can give them a tour of Tagaytay, Makati and old Manila."

Claire Romero, Patio Pacific Boracay travel trade assistant supervisor: "We are formerly known as Pink Patio. This triple-A resort has 60 air-conditioned rooms, Golden Bamboo Chinese restaurant, a nautical pool, a videoke bar, Alpha Fitness and Wellness centers."

The Philippine participation in the Guangzhou International Trade Fair (GITF) was necessary to acquire new tourists and even potential investors. The fair featured different countries, travel agencies in the long-and-winding exhibition space who were very competitive in giving away freebies and brochures.

"The importance of the GITF is that everyone is here. We can gauge what others have to offer," Jarque explained. "It does not matter if your budget is big or small. We have to be creative to accomplish our goals. We planned a lot for this event. We had a lot of dialogue going on with our China team in Manila and in Beijing headed by Jazmin Esguerra. We had to plan what we wanted to do but ultimately it boiled down to entertainment with the help of the Bayanihan dancers."

The Philippines booth attracted many people because of its strategic location near the entrance. There were two hut-shades that gave a taste of island life. The bright "Wow Philippines" light box featured a couple lazing around on the pristine beach of Boracay. The Bayanihan folk dancers were engaging to watch as they invited people to dance the tinikling. Plus, they gave out brochures and posed for pictures with guests. The booth made quite an impact and it won the Best Booth award again this year. That’s two in a row for the Philippines.

"There are a lot of people in our booth who speak the language. But what makes us stand out is the Filipino hospitality. We are always smiling. More importantly, we are ready with our materials printed in Chinese or Mandarin characters to serve as an awareness program," concluded Jarque.

The DOT works doubly hard for the Philippines to make its mark in the travel industry. And with the influx of tourists to our shores, we can see that all the efforts are really paying off. Now you can’t just carp about where government money goes, what with officials in the DOT doing their best in making our home a haven for tourists.