Philippines maintains tourist target by 2016

ALTHOUGH lagging compared to Southeast Asian neighbors, Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim said the Philippines is on track to meet its goal of attracting six million tourists by 2016.

According to Lim, this can be done through the pocket open skies policy, construction of 9,500 new hotel rooms in the next three years and assisting small businesses.Post your prayers and condolences for Cebu Vice Governor Greg Sanchez's family.

Other strategies eyed to meet the tourism target are building infrastructure to support tourism development, upgrading of quality/standards of tourism products and sustained marketing and promotions.The secretary also wanted increased private investments in tourism establishments and involving local governments and communities in tourism development.

Last year, Malaysia topped the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) with 24.6 million tourists in 2010, up 3.9 percent from 2009. Foreign arrivals to the Philippines, meanwhile, hit an all-time high of 3.52 million last year, which topped the government target of 3.3 million.

The country's performance is slightly better than landlocked Cambodia, which attracted 2.5 million visitors in 2010. Vietnam, on the other hand, welcomed over 3.8 million foreigners last year, down 11.5 percent in 2009.

Visitor receipts grew by 11.3 percent to $2.49 (P112.55) billion last year as compared to the 2009 receipts of $2.23 (P106.38) billion, tourism department data shows.Besides growing tourist arrivals, the tourism department aims to create three million jobs from the industry by the end of President Noynoy Aquino's term.

Develop Marinduque

In other developments, Secretary Lim said the island of Marinduque, home of the world famous Moriones Festival, is a potential tourist drawer in the next few years. The tourism chief specifically cited Marinduque for its caves, hot springs, heritage houses. It is also accessible by land and sea through the roll on roll off system and by airplane.

With this, Lim ordered an inventory of tourism destinations and activities in the island, and available development areas, like the Maniwaya white sand beach so that these can be matched with prospective investors who are looking for areas to develop.

Domestic and foreign tourists flocked to the province to witness the Battle of the Moriones, a competition of Morions in choreographed movements participated in by contingents from the municipalities.