Philippines reputation takes a hit

The Philippines, with its 7,100 islands, has some of the best beaches in Asia and some of the best diving spots in the world.

It has outstanding resorts, spas and eco-tourism spots – but it still fails to attract the same numbers of foreign tourists as many of its South East Asian neighbours.

Last year, slightly more than 3 million tourists visited the Philippines while Malaysia had 23.6 million, Thailand 14 million, Indonesia 6.4 million, Singapore 9.6 million and Vietnam 4 million, according to statistics from the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Terrorist bombings on the Indonesian island resort of Bali and Jakarta this decade have not kept tourists away; nor has Thailand’s internal political problems, nor the Boxing Day tsunami in 2004 in which more than 200,000 people died.

So why is the Philippines different, even before the tragic events of the Manila bus hijacking at the end of last month?

“Part of the problem is perception,” says a foreign former Manila hotel manager who does not want to be identified.

The Philippines, with its 7,100 islands, has some of the best beaches in Asia and some of the best diving spots in the world.

It has outstanding resorts, spas and eco-tourism spots – but it still fails to attract the same numbers of foreign tourists as many of its South East Asian neighbours.

Last year, slightly more than 3 million tourists visited the Philippines while Malaysia had 23.6 million, Thailand 14 million, Indonesia 6.4 million, Singapore 9.6 million and Vietnam 4 million, according to statistics from the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Terrorist bombings on the Indonesian island resort of Bali and Jakarta this decade have not kept tourists away; nor has Thailand’s internal political problems, nor the Boxing Day tsunami in 2004 in which more than 200,000 people died.

So why is the Philippines different, even before the tragic events of the Manila bus hijacking at the end of last month?

“Part of the problem is perception,” says a foreign former Manila hotel manager who does not want to be identified.

Sourced=thenational