Phl can be a sports tourism hub

MANILA, Philippines - The government can take advantage of the country’s numerous tourism spots that can be converted into sports tourism hubs – among them surfing, rafting, diving and windsurfing. 

Camarines Sur Rep. L-Ray Villafuerte, under whose term as governor wake boarding in the province gained regional and global prominence, said sports tourism is a $600-billion market expected to expand by an average of 5.3 percent annually, according to data from the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).   

Among the many provinces that can be marketed as sports destinations are: San Mateo in Rizal for mountain biking, Baler in Aurora and the Siargao island in Surigao del Norte for surfing; Cagayan de Oro and Davao for white water rafting; Anilao in Batangas for diving and Mindoro for windsurfing. 

“Marketing tourist spots like beaches as sports capitals or hubs is a value-added factor that helps sustain high tourist arrivals and incomes from tourism-related businesses,” the first-term lawmaker said.

According to Villafuerte, sports tourism is projected to grow 6.1 percent from 2013 to 2020 and by 4.7 percent from 2020 to 2030.  

UNWTO tourism projections show that tourist arrivals in the Asia-Pacific region is expected to more than double from 204 million arrivals in 2010 to 541 million by 2030. 

The UNWTO Confidence Index also forecasts growth to be stronger in Asia and the Pacific (+4 to +5 percent) and the Americas (+4 to +5 percent), followed by Europe (+3.5 to +4.5 percent). 

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority show that tourism, as a percentage of the total GDP, contributed 8.2 percent to the economy in 2015.  

Employment in “tourism-characteristic” industries was estimated at five million in 2015, higher by 3.4 percent compared with 4.8 million in the previous year.  

The share of employment in tourism industries to total employment in the country was recorded at 12.7 percent in 2015, according to PSA data.

CamSur, Siargao ink pact

 Two major surfing havens will soon be sharing in serving the world’s top surfing enthusiasts. 

The provincial governments of Camarines Sur in Luzon and Surigao del Norte in Mindanao have signed a memorandum of agreement for purposes of improving further the country’s tourism industry, more particularly in the field of surfing and wake boarding.

Villafuerte revealed that his governor-son, Miguel Luis, forged the partnership with Surigao del Norte Gov. Sol Matugas.

The world-famous surfing haven in Siargao Island can be found in Surigao del Norte.

The elder Villafuerte said their province forged a sisterhood agreement with Siargao “to cooperate on tourism-related projects, including hosting international sports events.”

“Siargao was unknown to tourists 20 years ago because the place was not properly marketed. It took an Australian surfer to discover that Siargao was a haven for surfing enthusiasts,” he said.

Villafuerte and Matugas vowed to improve each other’s tourism industry and learn from Camarines Sur’s “successful experience in developing and marketing local tourist spots.”