EDITORIAL - Tourism challenge

When less than four million foreign tourists visit the country, 96,455 is a lot. The figure accounts for the fourth largest group of leisure travelers in the Philippines in the first quarter of 2012, and they are from China. That fourth-place ranking has been consistent in recent years, with Chinese tourists behind South Koreans, Americans and Japanese. The figures do not include travelers from Hong Kong.

Now the figures could go down after several Chinese travel agencies suspended tour packages to the Philippines amid an escalating territorial row. More Filipino tourists visit China than the other way around, but so far no Philippine travel agency has bared any plan to suspend tour packages to China. With nearly 56 million foreign tourist arrivals in 2010, China has become the world’s third top tourist destination after France and the United States.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said the government could do nothing about the decision of the Chinese travel agencies. What the Philippines can do, even as it pursues efforts to attract Chinese tourists amid the territorial dispute, is to intensify efforts in other countries. The Philippines can look at its Southeast Asian neighbors, which are attracting millions of tourists from all over the world.

Why are Europeans going in droves to Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam and Cambodia, and not the Philippines? Malaysia is a favorite destination particularly for tourists from Islamic countries. South American travelers are also looking at Asia but bypassing the Philippines. If the country does not watch out, it could soon be bypassed in tourism by Myanmar, where democratic reforms are enticing travelers who are looking for new places to visit.

Even before some of the Chinese tour packages were suspended, Philippine efforts to bring in more Chinese tourists could use improvement. The suspension of tours should serve as a challenge to intensify such efforts, not only in China but also in many other countries.