Lack of travel infra may put off tourists

CEBU, Philippines - Even as the tourism industry has proven to be a major driver of the country’s economic growth, the lack of good travel infrastructure may discourage investments and put off tourists.

Cebu Business Month tourism and investment promotion chair Sabino R. Dapat said the government and the private must invest in structures that will help draw in more tourism investors.

“Although Cebu has contributed significantly to tourism in spite of the lack of infrastructures, efforts should have been upgraded a long time ago. Even now, we have not started it,” Dapat said during yesterday’s 888 News Forum held in Marco Polo Plaza Cebu.

In line with this, a Tourism and Investment Forum will be held in June 19 to help sustain Cebu’s competitiveness in terms of travel and tour infrastructures, Dapat said.

“We’ll talk about projects for Cebu that will support--spilling over the growth in the countryside or inclusive growth,” he added.

Dapat shared that one of the planned projects is the creation of a 250-kilometer transcentral highway passing through from the province’s northern part (Daanbantayan) to southernmost part (Santander).

He added that other projects include special economic zones to be built in the cities of Bogo, Toledo and towns of Oslob and Minglanilla, saying these developments--including the highway--will be funded through the public-private partnership scheme.

SEZs are economic places that aim to increase trade and investment, create jobs and effective administration.

He also said projects have significantly been focused in Metro Cebu and that, this time, plans should be extended into the different provinces of Cebu.

He estimated that the building of the highway which is expected to be funded by the national government will cost P20 billion; the cost will reach to P80 billion including the auxiliary projects.

“We are somehow going directly to the national government as far as the funding of the project is concerned,” he also noted.

Forum members will include the stakeholders from the private sector, the governor of Cebu and identified cabinet secretaries: NEDA Director General Arsenio Balisacan; DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson; Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez; Budget Secretary Florencio Abad; and Cabinet Secretary Rene Almendras.

The tourism chair stressed that building good infrastructures should meet the expectations of the investors, adding that it is one key to achieve inclusive growth in the tourism sector.

Meanwhile, Ma. Teresa Chan, the president of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said PPPs will play a critical part in achieving inclusive growth, which until now has not yet been attained.

“When we say growth, it only concerns the GDP and how many percent of the total population is not included?” she asked, sharing that “bayanihan” is one of the key solutions that has been proposed during the World Economic Forum toward realizing inclusive growth.

On another note, Chan also added that the ASEAN Economic Integration in 2015 will surely pose disadvantages and opportunities as well.

“This golden opportunity I think can’t only be taken advantage of by the government, we really need the private sector to get involved,” Chan added. — (FREEMAN)