EDITORIAL - Better marketing needed

With the economy upbeat, the world is now taking a second look at the Philippines. Foreign investors are slowly returning to the country, buoyed by the economic reforms implemented by the government.

One sector that is benefiting from the growing confidence of the international community in the country is the tourism industry. The Department of Tourism has noted a steady increase in foreign tourist arrivals following its aggressive campaign to showcase the country's favorite attractions to the world.

In fact, the DOT has been achieving arrival targets although the Philippines continued to receive a small number compared to its Asian neighbors. But the fact that the industry managed to flex its muscle amid stiff competition in Southeast Asia only shows that it's really more fun in the country.

Now a report said that the country' territorial dispute with China has affected the industry's drive to entice more foreign visitors. According to a DOT release last week, the country fell short of its target of hosting 4.5 million foreign tourists last year because of “few bumps” which include the conflict with China.

Although the country managed to post a nine-point increase from the 2011 figure, the DOT needs to surmount many challenges. In its drive to make the Philippines the first choice for foreign travelers in Asia, the tourism department should leave no stone unturned to surpass its five-million arrival target this year.   

The DOT records showed that we mostly rely on our Asian neighbors and the Americans as source of visitors, only partially tapping the vast market in Europe, Middle East and South America. While it is true that many Asians become more affluent and could afford to travel more frequently, we forget to look further.

Yes proximity makes it is easy to lure the Chinese, Japanese and Koreans to visit the country. But we still lagged behind our neighbors in the promotional race.  We need to be competitive in order to secure a large chunk of the pie.

The country can be a favorite destination for Brazilians, Europeans and Middle Easterners. We have tourist spots that are far more stunning than those in other neighboring countries.  What we just lack are better marketing and aggressive promotional campaign across the globe.