Lately, I have been writing regularly about tourism in the Philippines, and the reasons why it is not working. Or, let me say, I have been writing about apparent reasons why tourism is not working here. Two weeks ago, I posted about a new tourism slogan that the Philippine Department of Tourism had some out with called PKG, or Pilipinas Kay Ganda. The whole launching of the new tourism campaign was riddled with problems, and in the end, the Department of Tourism ditched the new campaign. They currently are working on an entirely new campaign and slogan for Philippine Tourism.
Some may argue that I am wrong to say that Philippine Tourism is not working. Well, if that is what you are thinking, think about this. The Philippines currently gets only around 2 Million, perhaps up to 3 Million tourists that come to the country each year. Wow, 2 Million, that’s a lot! Is that what you are thinking? Well, Thailand gets upwards of 17 Million tourists each year. Malaysia gets over 20 Million tourists yearly! Basically, every country neighboring the Philippines gets more tourists than the Philippines does, except maybe Burma.
OK, let’s get down to reality. While I think that the new Slogan (which has been ditched), “Pilipinas Kay Ganda” was a boondoggle. Complete waste of time and money. However, the truth is, reality is that the reason for the Philippine shortfall in tourism has nothing to do with a slogan, a set of words or anything of the nature. There are two major reasons, in my opinion, why the Philippines cannot attract tourists. One of the reasons is easily fixable, the other is harder to conquer. What are the reasons?
Reason one: Poor use of the Internet and other Media
I personally believe that this is the most fixable area of poor tourism performance in the Philippines. I have written about this in depth before, and won’t go into it in great detail this time, but the Philippines has really not taken advantage of a lot of free publicity that can be had through a number of means. These days, getting publicity is a lot easier and cheaper than ever before. With the Internet, almost anything is possible. When you take advantage of what is out there for free, a lot can be accomplished on a small budget. How do I know? Because I do it every day!
One thing that you hear from the Department of Tourism is that they cannot afford to run commercials on TV. OK, fair enough, if you don’t have the money, you don’t have the money! What about You Tube? Guess what, though… as far as I can tell, the Philippine Department of Tourism doesn’t even have a You Tube Channel! In the past, back in 2002 through about 2004, the Philippines ran commercials on major International TV Channels (BBC and CNN for sure). Those commercials still exist on some DVD somewhere, or on somebody’s hard drive. Why not roll them out on You Tube? You can find some Tourism related videos on You Tube, but they sure were not put there by the Department of Tourism.
How about Facebook, I mean, Facebook is one of the hottest sites on the Net these days! Does the Department of Tourism have a Facebook page? No, they don’t. There is a page called “Philippine Department of Tourism” but that is obviously not an official page, you can tell by the way they bad mouth Philippine Tourism on the page! And, even if it is an official page of the Department, well, it is shameful because they don’t even feature any nice pictures (the “profile picture” for the page is a nondescript picture of a suitcase).
There are many other social sites on the net. There are tons of sites (like LiP) that regularly post information about the Philippines, and tourism here. Does the Philippine Government have any people that monitor what is being said on the Web about tourism? Not as far as I can see. They need a team of a few people who monitor the web, and leave comments on sites like LiP and others sites, to bring their message to the public. This would be cheap.
How many times have I (and others) harped in the past that it is nearly impossible to book a hotel room over the Internet? Oh, if you want a big fancy hotel, sure you can find one or two that have Internet bookings available, but if you want to visit some City that is not in the “big 3” (Manila, Cebu or Davao) it is nearly impossible to book a hotel room online. Why? This would be easy and cheap to set up. Heck, most hotels won’t even answer an e-mail, though, how could you expect them to take a room booking online? I have said many times since living here that a lot of businesses here just don’t want your money, no matter how hard you try to give it to them! And, I believe that statement is 100% true.
How about booking an airline flight online? Oh, you can book to come from your country to visit the Philippines… to Manila that is. But, it is not easy to book your domestic flights online. Want to go to Bacolod? How about General Santos City? Well, getting those domestic air tickets is very difficult to do.
I know that this is how it is, because almost every day, I get e-mails asking for help in getting a hotel room or a domestic flight. I am not in the tourist business, nor am I working for the government, but people e-mail me because there is no easy way to do it. Imagine how many other people get similar requests by e-mail. Why are the Philippine Department of Tourism and Tourism related businesses (hotels, airlines, other hospitality businesses) not taking advantage of the Internet? It’s free, or as close to free as you can get!
Reason two: Bad Reputation
Another big problem with Philippine tourism is that the country has a bad reputation worldwide. I saw a show the other day on TV where they said that “the Philippines is the kidnap capital of the world.” I am sorry, but that is pure BS. A lot of countries have a much higher kidnap rate than the Philippines. Murder rates? Have you looked at Mexico lately? Heck, the USA has a much higher murder rate than the Philippines does according to some International Studies I’ve seen recently. Yet, the Philippine reputation is that it is the wild west down here, and you are taking your life in your hands by coming here. My experience could not be further from the truth.
So, this worldwide bad reputation that the Philippines has will be a big obstacle in attracting tourists. However, by taking advantage of some of the means I outlined earlier, it can be done slowly. But, at least the country could attract people who are not concerned about the reputation. But, it would seem that the Philippines is not even trying to do so.
My friends, there are serious problems with Philippine Tourism. A slogan is not one of the problems, though. It makes me wonder why a new slogan was the first thing that the new Administration jumped at when they came to power. I suppose you get a lot more headlines when you roll out a new slogan and new tourism campaign. When you roll out a new You Tube Channel to promote the country, you don’t get listed in the papers much.
You know what they say…. there is no such thing as bad publicity. I believe it was William Randolph Hearst who said something like “write anything about me in the newspaper, just make sure you spell my name right.” If I am incorrect on who said that… please let me know.
Hi Bob – Agree with you an all points. DoT doesn’t exactly use new media and technology. I guess web 2.0 still hasn’t caught on them. Gotta use Social Media to generate buzz. Web advertising and other mediums that most people will take notice. And yes, bad rep. Philippines always has that tag. Again. Good advert is needed. Somebody needs to think things over and make things work there at the DoT.
Hi sugar – with all of the effort that the DoT seemingly puts into their goal, it is just surprising to me how wrong they get it. These days, even with a tight budget, a lot can be accomplished!
Right on point-by-point Bob, you got them nailed! I still do believe that the best advertisers are the expats living in this country, Why? Because the foreign tourist will definitely wonder why are you living here and erase the bad reputation we have abroad. Also, we need infrastructures everywhere for easy travelling.
Thank you jonathan. I believe that expats living here can also have an impact on Filipinos. Did you know that I often get asked by Filipinos – “why would you want to live here?” They don’t realize that they have a beautiful country!
Haha! Yeah, that’s what I’m thinking too, Bob. Guess we just don’t realize what we have. But anyway, I really appreciate you guys promoting our country. It’s a big help. I hope you will get to be featured in some television program or something. Remember Art Bell? It is confirmed Bob, he still lives in the PH, at least that’s what George Noory said in his Coast-to-Coast AM radio program. His last forecast there was during the Araw ng mga Patay/Undas celebration this year.
Interesting about Art Bell, jonathan. I know he moved back to the States a few years ago… he must be back here again! I hope he likes it here!
Bob,
An area that has been mentioned before and the biggest one I can think of, is the problem with foreign investment. Most other countries let foreign companies buy land and build resorts, these resorts pay for the advertising, and bring people in, who can spend money in other places. If the Philippines needs a road built then they will bend over backwards to help foreign investors, but no foreigner can own land here. It’s like they want tourist, and foreign money, but they are afraid of foreigners buying up all the good land.
Richard, you made some good points there..but I think on the land deal if they did not have some kind of restrictions, that a lot of foreigners would buy up a lot of the good land…so maybe they could make certain parcels of land available to foreigners to buy as a investjment that would bring good things to the Phillipines like resorts and such, but have a limit or some kind of control on how much they could buy and etc..Because as pretty as that place is there..I do belive that if they opened it up for a free for all…a big share of a lot of the good land would be owned by foreigners.
Hi Richard – Nice to hear from you, I hope you are doing well. Yes, I think you are right. If the government allowed foreign ownership of some of the major tourist destination, I feel that there would be a better chance of “getting it right” and attracting in those tourists that the country wants oh so badly. You certainly are right about the country bending over backwards for investors every time anything needs to be done here.
Bob,
I’ve discussed my frustration before, I’m a veteran travel industry person and I gave up on the PH. It was simply putting good money into the wind. I made more money in one week selling BKK over the PH in the entire year.
We all know the issues in the press, I believe one of the bigger issues are the OFW’s, Balikbayans who talk poorly about the PH. Their words scare people away. I have met so many Canadians and Americans who marry a Filipina and when the suggestion comes around to a honeymoon in the PH the family says are you nuts?
There are so many things broken in the PH, I personally don’t even like the food, but I believe tourism opens bridges for trade and creates job. I wish the DOT or a private enterprise would see the light and spend money on technology.
The DOT is not up to par, under the Big Dick Gordon things were moving but at times in a direction that was merely to promote Home Country Stays for the Balikbayans, come home and take your family to Boracay.
I believe we will never see North Americans or Europeans flocking to the PH, it simply doesn’t have the cultural aspects that stick out, the PH is a little to US style and lost its Asian charm. (I know that wont be a popular comment, but I know from selling the country to potential tourists)
I suggest the PH focus on other ASEAN States to lure tourists. It is closer and easier for them to travel to the country for a holiday, Westerners are put off with the news to spend their precious 2-3 week holidays in the country.
My last point is the corporate ownership rules that exist, you simply wont get the major players building in the PH, personally I would have given an island or two or 100 to Disney for free and said build it and they will come.
Suggestions
-Close NAIA Terminal 1 this week, it is a disgrace
-Create taxi lanes in MNL
-Turn Tiendasitas into a 24/7 flea market and party central
-Instruct 5J fix their booking policy to accept International credit cards or a penalty will apply
-Create a cultural buzz around Intramuros
-Teach the tourism students the South is not bad and the Muslims were there before the Spanish
-Tell Filipinos abroad your country is almost bankrupt, we need your help
-Tax remittances for every 1K PHP tax 25 pesos towards tourism
-Tax Balikbayan boxes, we love them but come on what is a 300 peso tax
-Allow any movie production to be filmed in the PH–I still go to Phi Phi Island (James Bond)
-Allow tourist to stay 30-60 days
-Promote University Education as long as it means something when the kids are back home
-Create a real buzz on the net, not trolly dolly’s dancing
A brand means that when you meet someone they already know you, lots and lots of work to be done .
Hi John – A long and well thought out comment for sure. I see a number of your suggestions that I think are “on the mark”. The only thing I don’t agree with is the additional taxes. Heck, can you imagine what money would be wasted if they did that. The DoT seemingly can come up with nothing but hair-brained ideas, giving them money to spend probably wouldn’t change that. I would not mind something like P300 on Balikbayan Boxes, but only if it were to be spent on something that had a chance to succeed, not go into somebody’s pocket, or spent on something like Pilipinas Kay Ganda. Too wasteful.
I know we all hate taxes, but lets face it the country is poor. Without a new fast revenue stream it simply will fail. I have no issues with raising tax on sin items, cigarettes and alcohol. Heck Thailand alcohol import tax is 400%, most of the cigarettes are from the PH with a whopping 200% tax. It is only a suggestion to find the funds from tax.
The bottom line in my mind is something must be done, I don’t want to hear problems why it wont or cant work from the powers that be, I want to hear solutions.
Why not invite 25 top biz folks from around the world as a start.
I am not necessarily against taxes, John. I think that some kind of tax, especially sin tax, geared toward tourism would be good. However, right now, the money would only be wasted, or go to the corrupt. Those things need to be addressed before looking for more money.
I find myself on the slippery slope again, caring too much hehehehehe. It has to start somewhere, perhaps the Asian Development Bank can support a cause for tourism for the PH to avoid the corruption and make things work.
I know common sense isn’t that common but somehow if money pours into the right verticals things can improve.
Ha ha… I hear you John. And, like you, I’d love to see improvements.
I agree with many of the things you say on the subject Bob. However, since the last post on the subject, I have had a chance to look at the logo they came up with. As someone with a graphic design background, I though it was absolutely superb, and I passed it around a few colleagues who expressed similar. The “Kay Ganda” bit was good because it’s meaning was explained within the logo, and implied there’s a language and a culture to be explored. Tourists love nothing more than learning a little of the language…as little as possible usually! How many Portugese tourists don’t finish their holiday by saying “Obrigado” (Thank you) to their hotel host? What needed to be changed was that “Pilipinas” should have been converted to “Philippines”, and alter a few colours and fonts etc. to make it look different from the Polish (poor by comparison) version. There, staring back at you then, would be a world class logo that could have become as recognisable as the Pepsi logo. (Of course, none of those things happened, which is the “major major” failing that cost people and an entire department credibility).
John makes a lot of excellent suggestions, although they need to be practical. NAIA may not be pretty, but then neither is Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt, and the last time I was in Athens I was appalled by their airport, but no one seems to care about that. The major major ( 🙂 ) issue seems to be the reluctance to invite foreigners to participate and advise, and that all comes down again to this culture thing… many Filipino’s often have a powerful resistance to foreign “interference”. That’s really the key to everything…overcome that one!
Hi Jim – Not sure if you are aware… I suspect you are not.. but that logo for the “Kay Ganda” campaign was ripped off from Poland! There were allegations made that the DoT stole the graphic from Poland’s Dept of Tourism and made a couple of small changes (changed the country name!), then re-used it. DoT originally denied, but later admitted that it was done that way. They said that “Poland doesn’t have a copyright!” Oh well… So, for those who like the logo (I don’t), great… all credit goes to Poland for coming up with the concept though! 😆
What needed to be changed was that “Pilipinas” should have been converted to “Philippines”, and alter a few colours and fonts etc. to make it look different from the Polish (poor by comparison) version.
Yeah, as above, I spotted that fact. Most great design comes from an original idea which is then amended. It was certainly too literal a copy, but had the changes I suggested been made, who would have known, and it could have stood alone as a world class logo design, miles ahead of the Polish one. I suspect someone, probably quite junior, at Campaigns and Grey did the initial sketch as an idea and it just got lifted straight into the campaign without further deliberation. What a laugh, eh?
Bob 3 million is not very many tourists…Toyko Japan gets more than 4 million a year..thats one city….Vietnam gets more than the Phillipines and from what I read its important to them to keep working on getting more….they must understand the money tourists spend is worth while going afterward…For some reason I do not belive that toursism in the Phillipines is that important to the ones in goverment, or they would have figured out a long time ago how to get more people to come there and they would understand how it would help the over all economy of the Phillipines. Its kinda like the old saying…picking up pennies and overlooking the dollars…so..I quess the solution to getting more toursists there is simple…when the ones in the know understand it is important and a priority then they will get it together and make the changes that need to be made to make the Phillipines more populated with toursists……There is no reason they could not have 20-30 million tourists a year there with the right kind of promoting and other work needed….
Hi Dan – 3 million is almost nothing… and the other thing is that of the 3 million, probably 2.9 million are just OFW’s coming home and husbands of Filipinas and the kids coming to visit Mama and Papa. Frankly, the number of “real tourists” – people who just come here for a vacation – is almost zero. Something has to change if it is to improve.
There are a lot of problems with the ‘image’ of the Philppines. And a lot of ‘hardware’ problems underlying that image problem. And those 2 are a bad mix. There’s a general feeling that, as a tourist, ‘you are on your own’ when you get to the Philippines…nobody is looking out for your interests. That’s a loaded statement, but, even though I wasn’t a true ‘tourist’ when I first visited (I was there to meet my wife in person for the first time…that was the only reason I was there), I really did feel like I was on my own if anything even mildly bad happened…until I finally found my wife at the airport.
Outside of Boracay and a very few tourist spots, the Philippines really do feel like a strange 3rd world country, unless you know somebody there. Customer service is not a priority, in general (sorry, I know there are some very good, honest, hardworking Filipinos in the tourism business, but the bad ones really obscure them).
I really don’t think the Philippines truly take tourism seriously and never have. If they did, they would focus on it and get the results of those efforts. Everybody else in Asia does. The efforts so far are half hearted and superficial. Like they want to believe that tourism is important and can make a huge economic benefit for the people, after all of these years of half-hearted, false starts with no real results, they just aren’t buying it. Better to complain about other Asian countries getting all that business than fix it.
I love the Philippines, but the attitudes which make their tourism industry such an under-performer aren’t going away anytime soon. And that is a real shame, because under the right oversight, it would be a killer tourist destination. But for now and the foreseeable future, it’s just a huge wasted resource.
I think that “on your own” observation is a good one. When I think back to when I would visit the Philippines, I had a feeling like that.
Hi Bob,
Well, NAIA is a classic example…I’ve never been so turned off by an International Airport Operation in my life. I arrive after a 26hr flight to be herded like cattle through customs and immigration…OK, that is a turn-off at any country’s POE, but NAIA makes it extra-special. After you are ejected from the process at about 12 AM (most of the international flights seem to arrive at between a narrow time slot between 10 PM and 11 PM for some strange reason, so the crowds are super-large), at a very aged and decrepit airport, you are promptly ejected outside the terminal with no way to return. The Airport has basically shut down between this hour and 5 AM..no food or water are available..period. If you have a flight to another city, then you will have to find some way to the domestic terminal (about a 15 minute ride away). There is nothing or no one, at this point to tell you what to do. Like an idiot, I read the ‘official’ web sites about NAIA, and was led to believe that there was a 24 hr shuttle service available. Well, it may run every several hours…in the mean time, you will stand outside the airport with nothing whatsoever to indicate where the shuttle may be found (hope it’s not raining, like it did on me that night). Shady looking taxis will randomly pass by every few minutes offering their services from 200 pesos to 1000 pesos to get to the domestic terminal…they will single you out, cuz you don’t look local, if you know what I mean…and they are very persistent.
The shuttle may (or may not) arrive about 2 or 3 hours after you’ve been sitting at the international terminal. It’s very old and decrepit, but the driver is very friendly…they invite you on board…then about 10 random local people start grabbing your luggage in hopes of a tip. You have no pesos yet (just got off the damn plane, USD only and not a lot of that…but they insist they will take that! Gee, thanks!).
You ride this bus to the domestic terminal at last…home free! It’s relatively new and upscale compared to the ramshackle terminal you just left…and it is obviously closed except for the security guards standing about. At least you can find some bottled water to drink maybe and a bathroom to take care of business.
Hahahahahaha, nope! In fact, the terminal is shut down completely….no AC on this very humid tropical night in July. The guards will reluctantly let you in the front door, but that is as far as you go. Need to sit down? You can sit on the hard tile floor for a couple of hours (very few seats in this part of the terminal…and those are already full of Filipinos waiting for their domestic flights at 6 AM or so), in the heat and humidity with all of your luggage piled around you while you wait for the magic hour of 4:30 or 5:00 AM for the ticket counters to open…the rest of the Airport is locked down.
Anyway, that is what a tourist can expect…no information, just dumped (barely) where they need to be after a grueling flight. Yeah, I could have gotten a hotel near by for about 3 or 4 hours of sleep, but starting at about 200 pesos a night (not including transportation) and a very real chance that I would not make my connecting flight to Cebu, I decided to just wait in out in the terminal.
I won’t even describe what I ran in to at the airport in Cebu when I got there at 6 AM….I almost got taken for a boat load of money just to get to an ATM. Got ripped off immediately on my cab ride from the airport to the hotel (don’t remember the exact amount, but it was 2 or 3 times the recommended amount, I found out later).
You know the drill…the Philippines is about as ‘tourist-unfriendly’ as it gets.
Hi rc – Well…. there have been some changes at NAIA in the past few years, though, and huge strides for the better. Very few flights use the old domestic airport any longer, so that is a huge plus. But, everything you say either is true, or was at a time. Terrible!
Hi Bob,
This happened in July 2009. Wasn’t any better in December 2010 when I went to get married…but I did learn from my first experience and planned it much better. Most tourists will give it one chance (if that). Most won’t be back.
Sorry, I mean December 2009, not December 2010. Haven’t been in the Philippines since February of this year.
Ha ha.. when I first read that, I was wondering! Hmm… rc must have just touched back down in on his return home! 😆 No problem….
Hi rc – I agree with you… when you make a terrible first impression, it’s hard to gain those tourists back again! Almost impossible.
Back in 2007 when I made my first trip to the RP, my experiences were much the same as RC’s. Thankfully I had several friends who had been there before, so I knew what to expect. Since my expectations were of the reality, I wasn’t turned off, just “living my adventure.” I suppose that’s the big problem, most tourists don’t want their vacation to be an adventure, they want it to be relaxing and pleasant.
For me, Brent, adventure is half the fun! 😆
hi bob well for starters lets get rid of that horrid logo for the department lets make it bright and colourfull ,mmaybe some palm trees as a backdrop and golden beach in the forground with the colours of the national flag intermingeled in some form when i look at it i see boring ,no life at all may as well have an old sock hanging up ,secondly they need to seriously get in the internet age as you say with a huge website with all the islands and cultures featured and the festivals show the buetifull forests and beaches and the cristal clear waters ,my government has a travel warning out about the mindanou area i havent checked lately but when i last looked it said do not travel ,great that is really going to get the tourists coming let me tell you something where i live in adelaide it was getting a reputation as the murder capital of australia we have had some really bad murders here but becuase of our touriosm department activly promoting events we have here and the city we have an abundance of tourists and it relly injects money into the economy ,currently we have the ashes test series here (cricket) played at different venues across the country betwen australia and england ,i spoke to a guy at work who is from manilla and told him that my wife cam from mindanou and his first reaction was the sam as what you have written ohhh very dangerous there! it is i didnt think so alright if you go to areas that you shouldnt then yes it will be dangerous but that applies to anywhere i expect that the states has places you should not go as a tourist same as here but as you say untill this vail of bs is lifted then it will be hard to get the tourists to go there, the phillipine government reallly need to get theree fingers out of there a….s and start promoting internationally this coiuntry ,work with the airlines and tourism operaters to get the word out more tourism more jobs more money more prosperity for the nation this will lead to greater investment in the country by foreighn organizations it can only benefit all when i was there i was shown a multi story hotel sitting idle near i think vic plaza why isnt it full ? i suppose we can debate this all year but unless the powers to be do something it is just that a debate
chris
I would have to say, I agree with you that the DoT logo is pretty horid! Not sure how many more tourists would come to the Philippines, though, if it were updated. Couldn’t hurt, unless they spend millions on the update, though!
Remember…. the travel warning is not the fault of the Philippines. It is stupid governments like mine, and I presume yours too. It is so baseless.
You’re right, except that not many buses get hijacked or blown up in the US. It’s against the law here. You’ve got to admit that the police there make Barney Fife look like Elliot Ness.
I would argue that not many buses get hijacked or blown up in the Philippines either. Sure, it happens, but rarely. We don’t have school shootings and such here in the Philippines either, but they are pretty widespread in the USA… 😉
You’ve got me there, but the one thing that the US has on the Phillipines is that a much larger percentage of killers are caught and convicted, than in the Phillipines.
As far as buses go, 3 in the last year or so, is not too rare 1 in Manila, 1 in Quezon, and 1 in the southern Phillipines.
The Phillipines, in general are not any more dangerous than most other places, but that is not what the world perceives, and every newsworthy event that the government either screws up on, the massacre in Manila, for example, or seems to be involved in, does not do anything to improve that perception.
Hi John – You sure are right about perception. What most Americans don’t realize is that in terms of violence per capita, the US is one of the most dangerous countries in the world! The Philippines is not even in the top 50. As I recall, in the survey, the Philippines was like in the mid-80’s.
I’ve lived here in Va for aroung 59 years, and have never known anyone who was killed, and have only heard of 1 murder in my lifetime in the nearest town, and in 2009, the State of Va., population about 8,000,000, had 347 murders. That equals 4.33 per hundred thousand. Not all places in the US are like Detroit, just as not all places in the Phillipines are the same.
Hi John – I have lived in various places around the globe for 48 years… and like you I have never known anybody who was killed. It shows how rare it is.
The US murder rate for 2009 was 5.0 per 100,000.
http://www.disastercenter.com/crime/uscrime.htm shows crime rates fro, 1960 through 2009.
Hi bob yes you are right these travel warnings are putting people of you can go anywhere in the world and if you are in the wrong place at the wrong time well ,any travel requires a sensible apraoch to places to visit for example just look at your experience in the barber shop if things had gone bad who knows what may have happened but to put a blanket ban on these places is silly
chris
That is so true, chris!
If something bad happened between that guy and Bob in the barber shop, he will be in the news, and the US Embassy will say, ‘See, I told you so’…lol
Just kidding….!
Ha ha.. very true, jonathan!
I’d get my graphics guy to update it for $550, then they can filter it in as things need reprinting? Why does everything have to cost millions. (I just found out the British Govt. apparently paid £40 million to create a new web site…wouldn’t you have liked that contract)?
I would have gladly given them 10% off, Jim! They didn’t ask for my bid, though! 😯
Well, we just got back from a trip to Thailand and the comparison is pretty stark. It was easy to compare hotels and book well in advance. It was easy to find out what points of interest are available in the place you want to visit. Once there, everyone is advertising everyone else’s attractions (tours, caves, boat trips, shows). Transportation is pretty easy in spite of the fact few people speak English. Renting a motorcycle is easy and cheap. Hotels are reasonable, clean and full-service. Cheaper than in the Philippines where rooms tend to be spartan and not attractive, and where internet connection is almost always a major hassle and expensive. Years of building Buddhist temples have also given Thailand an edge on beauty and form. Buildings appeal to the eye and are well maintained, there are fresh flowers, not plastic ones, in hotel lobbies, the landscaping is lovely. Not so in the Philippines.
But, that being said, I would rather LIVE in the Philippines and visit Thailand once in a while. There are too many tourists in Thailand! They are ruining the place… I think I saw and heard people from every nation in Europe, plus Africans, Australians, Canadians, Latin Americans and from the UK. Do I want to spend my vacation watching foreigners misbehaving? Not really. So, maybe a lousy tourism program is a blessing in disguise, or maybe what we need is a pretty good presence on the internet, but not as much as Thailand!
Hi AmericanLola – I hope you had a great trip to Thailand! It sounds like it was enjoyable but tiring with all of the tourists to watch! 😆
I think the Philippines needs to find something in between where we are now, and where Thailand is, I suppose. A nice balance.
Bob:
Add in the fact that those tourism numbers include many, many balikbayans who would return anyway, thousands of missionaries (Who seldom spend much money), people marrying or married to Filipinas, and the total actual tourist figure is quite small. (To illustrate, they probably get those numbers from the arrival cards… prior to my 13A, I simply checked tourism, since I lived here, but on a tourist visa).
What is clear about the whole tourism debate is pretty much how you summed it up… Not all solutions require large amounts of money. However, a change in attitude is required. The government encouraging hotels to answer email would be, most likely, ineffective (I think most of the hotel owners would simply ignore the advice).
That doesn’t mean that nothing can be done, however. For instance, in Japan, the tourism ministry hosts a site where foreigners can stay in traditional Ryokan (Japanese inns), and they even run a central reservation system (I think that it is free for the hotels to participate). There is no reason why the government couldn’t do the same here, and they could finance it through a small booking fee added to the rate. Same thing with the airlines. If Expedia can run their worldwide call center and IT department from Cebu (This is 100% true), why can’t someone else? Even better, encourage local participation from the tourism industry with Expedia and the like. McDonalds and Pizza Hut manage to allow nearly nationwide fast food delivery, with credit cards… Why can’t the ferry companies and bus companies do the same thing? Ever try to find a bus schedule or ferry schedule online here? Nearly impossible. Yet, I can get a Big Mac delivered at any time of day, and you are even able to let foreigners order one for their girlfriends online from WOW Philippines, 24 hours a day, from 10,000 kms away.
The answer is laziness and lack of will… Even with all of the violence and chaos in Thailand over the last few years, tourism there only fell slightly. Yet, the response from the Minister over the bus shootout this year makes perfectly clear that tourism is neither a big concern nor is it a priority. None of this has anything to do with budgets. Nor, bad press. It has everything to do with attitude and will.
Of course, if they do it half-*ssed, like many of the government sites, then the whole exercise becomes totally pointless.
Hi John – My point exactly about the balikbayans and husbands of Filipinas… the truth is, there are very, very few real tourists here!
One way the government could impose on hotel owners to answer e-mail is to make it part of the accreditation process. Hotels are very keen to be accredited by the DoT and put that sticker on their doors… start doing some real-time testing to see how they are serving tourists, and make answering e-mail one of them!
Bob,
I think the gov’t is more focus on sending thousand of filipinos working abroad coz we OFW’s sent billions of dollars to the Phils. coffin than to create a more productive way on how to improve our economy, i agreed w/ all you said, the internet is one of the most effective way to promote the Phils.and i was shocked to know that the DOT didn’t even have a YOU TUBE CHANNEL, WHAT THE HECK ARE THEY DOING!!! even Charice has her own youtube channel for publicity…..tsk,tsk,tsk!!!!
Hey rebecca – You said one word that summed everything up. When you said putting dollars in the Philippine coffin, I am sure that was a slip, and you meant coffers… but oh how much that one word said about the efforts of the Philippines. Coffin is right, because it is as if the country is dead to tourists! 😆
Bob,
I really used the word “coffin” (hahaha) coz if not for us OFW our economy will not survived and be dead by now (hahaha) but seriously i’m quite sad that until now the gov’t is not doing more ……
Ha ha… I thought it was very fitting, rebecca!
Agree too!
Lol. I’m an OFW but I don’t want to be in that coffin…:)
Hi Bob and other readers. I have been living here in Kidapawan City for nearly 3 years now with my Filipina wife. Where is Kidapawan City you may ask ? Well travel approx 2 hours inland from Davao City and it is on the other side of Mt Apo. Since living here I’ve made many friends, not expats but local people. No-one has ever shot at me or said a cross word. Life here is fantastic and the people are wonderful. Two years back I took my wife to New Zealand to visit my family and one Sunday while at a local market on the North Shore of Auckland City a woman (Filipina) came up to my wife and asked if she was from the Philippines. Yes replied my wife. I’m from Luzon said the woman and have lived in New Zealand x number of years (can’t remember the length of time). Where are you from the woman asked my wife ? I come from Mindanao my wife replied and at that the other woman walked away very quickly. While attending church there in New Zealand and meeting other Filipina/o’s they would say on finding out we lived in Mindanao “aren’t you afraid of the kidnappers”? It seems some of the worst offenders of downgrading the Philippines are the OFW’s themselves. Last year an American came here to marry a friend of my wife’s. The man was totally against coming here as OFW’s in the USA all gave him bad reports and scary stories. We managed with a lot of persuasion to get him to come to Kidapawan and now he would like to revisit the place. But the first visit I could barely get him to put outside the house door.
This country has a serious self image problem, let alone beginning the process of attracting tourists. Mind you when watching the Philippines news here anything from Mindanao is only ever negative.
You simply can not beat Mindanao for wonderful weather, people, fruit, and life style.
Hi Richard – Kidapawan is a nice little city… I have been there many times myself, and will be there again. Your analysis of what it is like living in Mindanao is the same as my thinking on the matter! It’s a great life here!
Im looking at moving to philippines in February 2011. My fiancee is from Mindanao. She wants me to live there but i have been reluctant because of concerns about safety. Im interested in hearing such positive perspectives!
Is there any way to find 6 mth rentals in Kidpawan or davao?
Hi Jon – It’s quite difficult to find rentals of less than 1 year. You can find it if you search, but you will have search hard. Good luck.
Bob, i know it’s Phils. coffers, i just use coffin for the same reason that you mentioned, anyway, all those videos on youtube that i watched about the beauty of the Phils was uploaded by those tourist who visited the Philippines and it was amazing!!!!! so i wonder why the DOT do the same thing…….
Hi rebecca – It truly is amazing to me that things like YouTube, FaceBook and such are all free, yet the Philippines government does not take advantage of them! Also, the trend is that people are watching less and less TV, and spending more and more time on the computer! It would seem that free networking via the Internet would be a natural for the DoT. Why waste time and money making up a new slogan, when the audience can be reached for free?
Bob – it’s kind of amusing (not sure if that’s the right word) or sad, or just irritating that when Philippines s mentioned by anybody or anywhere, the event that happened with the tourist bus that was hijacked an shown all over the international cable news. It’s what they remember of the country. Maybe because it was recent. And then they’d think.. who’d want to live in such place with awful people and untrained police and all that. Kinda irritating he he. DoT should have done something special to appease the minds of the tourists planning to come here.
The tourist bus incident will be forgotten or move to a distant memory as time passes. All such incidents everywhere in the world do. But, it was only a few months ago, so it is still fresh in people’s minds.
Hi sugar i think that you will find that only the bad things stay in peoples minds and for the most none have ever been there ,have a look at the states for example how many students trip out and go nuts with dads riflewhat about here we had a bloke who targetted backpackers and dumped them in a state forest one managed to get away and this was how they caught him now one of his relatives has just done the same thing ,after looking at the situation with the bus they had the perfact oppertunity to end it all with only one casualty but they hesitated maybe because he was a police officer or for another reson but i think in the west all the hostages would have been saved and the gunman would have been gone,in one photo he is standing directly in the doorway of the bus no one else would have ben hurt now there was almost an international situation over it ,this is what will hurt the phillipines lack of decsive action
chris
I can tell you with absolute certainty the major reason the Philippines does not get more tourism is REPUTATION. And the United States and other world governments are partially responsible for this.
The United States ROUTINELY gives out travel warnings to the Philippines which many tourist agents feel obligated to tell their clients. This is a huge problem. It is one of the reasons Aquino has asked Obama for help in lifting these warnings…it is killing a lot of the tourism from Americans to the Philippines.
There are so many Americans that think the Filipines is literally a war zone and if you go there you could easily lose your head. It is ridiculous…but that is the perception of many people in America.
I agree that the dangers in the Philippines are so overstated it is unreal…but many filipinos themselves are at fault for this…..they spread the b.s. about the filipines. I was in a Walmart store today talking to a filipina from Cebu. She asked me where my fiance lived and I told her Mindanao….OH MY GOD! You would have thought I told her my fiance lived in the most dangerous place in the world!!
I hear this in Vancouver, Washington on a regular basis and I am sure it is being said by filipinos in EVERY city in the United States and other countries. It is hurting their country!!!
The other issue with tourism is that when tourist get to the Filipines they need to be well taken care of. The filipino people are known for hospitality….but come on man. Keep the hotels clean. Keep the area around the hotels clean. Show the best side of the filipino that you can.
Filipinos just might be the most stubborn people in the world…they have an intense pride and seem to not want to be told anything…even if they know what they are being told is right. I have talked to so many people that have visited Thailand and the Filipines. Almost all say Thailand is cleaner with better hospitality. That should NEVER happen.
It is one thing to get people to go to the Filipines…but when they get there you better show them a great time.
Come on filipinos, show the world why me, Bob, and so many others love your country. Get with the program. God, I get so frustrated with the Filipines…but only because I really love it there and wish others could see it also.
Todd – It sure can be frustrating most times as Philippines is actually more safer than Thailand or Indonesia. But just to play devils advocate, maybe to be fair? Travel advisories are given maybe they warranted? Other gov’ts learned from 9/11. Remember 1995, terrorist Ramzi Yousef was here in Manila planning an attack (in the US) and making Manila as test place but was foiled, also with what happened with the Burnhams. These things and other incidents probably factors in why Philippines has a bad rep and so many travel advisories.
But just so you know, if I were an expat (w/c I’m not) and was asked to choose between Thailand and the Philippines, I’d chose Philippines anytime.
Hi Todd- I believe that those warnings are really so baseless. I mean, why don’t countries make warnings against traveling to the USA? The USA is one of the most violent countries in the world, after all!
You are right, Filipinos do a lot to spread a bad image of their own country! It’s shameful!
glad to see you guys sharing your personal insights on RP tourism.
personally the local low tourism turnout is a reflection of the absence of pinoy tourism experience applied locally. what do i mean by this ?
sure the DOT has annual operating budgets guaranteed by every administration. the thing is, they never bother using part of that budget to send out people abroad to learn how other countries are doing it right.
by doing it right, i mean replicating what works abroad : road maps & signs that are easily understood, tourism infrastructure that are dependable 24/7 (rest rooms, terminals, transfer conveyances, you name it), tourism information channels that are fresh & up to date, many more.
consider that local tour operators have been giving feedback of this sort to DOT, except they’re not doing anything about it. maybe they need to see for themselves how it works abroad so they can make it happen here.
Hi Pinoy Browser – It’s a shame that the DoT does not listen when they are given feedback!
One other issue…I have stayed in many hotels in the Filipines….some nice, some just ok, and some that make the worse hotels in America look like palaces.
How darn hard can it be to make sure that rooms are not infested with cock roaches. How hard can it be to make sure the beds are comfortable and clean. Sheets clean and comfortable. Bathrooms clean. How hard can this be???
None of this takes a lot of money. I have stayed at fairly nice, by filipines standards, hotels and was APPALLED at what I saw. And 99% of what I saw could be taken care of if the hotel cared JUST a little bit. All of this matters with tourism.
What amazes me is this….do these hotels send their managers and staff to America or other top destinations and actually see how other countries do things??? You would think they would. It is not ok in ANY country for a person to rent a room and have sheets on the bed that look like someone was hacked to pieces or have cockroaches all over the place.
Hi Todd – In defense of Philippine Hoteliers… I will say that controlling bugs like cockroaches is not easy to do in the tropics. In many ways, you just have to live with them, because you will never fully eradicate them. They can certainly do better, though, in many cases.
Good analysis. Can I add that the location of the Philippines is not that convenient for the European market. The Philippines is competing with the countries you mentioned, Thailand etc., but they are much easier to get to from Europe – often with direct flights. The only carrier flying directly from Europe is KLM. Given that the Philippines is perhaps perceived as a similar destination as say Thailand (e.g. excellent beaches), many Europeans would rather opt for the easy option.
Obviously you can’t change the location of the Philippines, so the answer must lie in marketing. As you mention it doesn’t have to be expensive. Not many people know that Alex Garland’s The Beach (also a movie) was actually written while he was in Palawan I believe. The book is supposedly about a hidden island in Thailand, but given that Thailand is so overrun by tourists such untouched locations obviously don’t exist there anymore. Perhaps the department of tourism should target travellers interested in such an experience. Once the trend-setters start coming to the Philippines, mainstream travellers will follow as was the case with Thailand.
Oh and they need to transfer the international flights to the new terminal in Manila and close that dump masquerading as a terminal. Airports are the first things visitors experience of a country, so it’s really your business card.
Hi Dr Nick – Ha ha… you are right, changing the location would not be possible, but they could certainly arrange to have more direct flights from Europe! That might help!
To have a viable tourist industry in the Philippines would require years of sustained effort and financial investment. In 25 years of experience of the Philippines I have come to the conclusion that an effort by a government department is limited to a few weeks or months at the most.As for finance – those that have the sums available have easier ways of making money so why would they bother? Remove the bar on foreign land ownership and allow foreign companies to operate in the Philippines and we might see some progress. It pains me to express these views as I love the place and have spent the happiest years of my adult life in the islands but unfortunately I have seen hopes dashed too often by corruption and incompetence.
At the moment I am in my other home in Scotland – it was – 7c this morning with snow about 2 feet deep with driving conditions lethal ,cannot wait to get back in January.
Yikes, Bryan, 2 feet of snow! Another good reason to get back to the Philippines! 😉
Yes Bob,cannot wait to get back – this is the worst start to winter in 30 years ,it really is bloody awful . After 35 years in warm climates I really do not do cold very well – looks good on Christmas cards but in reality it is very unpleasant – shops and supermarkets are running out of essentials as deliveries are delayed due blocked roads and railways. Roll on global warming!!.
Yeah, that global warming is harsh, Bryan. Oh, since it has started getting much colder, the believers have changed the name.. it’s not global warming any more.. now it’s climate change! 😆 Climate does change in cycles… it has done so for thousands or millions of years!
Hi Bob, I’m in my other home in Savannah, Georgia and it was 26 degrees here last Wednesday morning–almost broke the record. Brrrrrrr.
So many ideas for the the PH DOT to chew on for all the comments above, so in summary, we could make a list like this “If I ran the Philippine Tourism Department, I would…….”
1. Make the airport user friendly and welcoming.
2. Organize young IT savvy minds to take advantage of the internet.
3. etc, etc
My marketing choice: “My Philippines is ……….(can add and expand to any as Ad requires).
Also marketing the different islands compare to Thai and Vietnam is easy due to geographic location. My 2 cents worth.
I agree that most if not all of the conditions above is true and needs to be address. In addition you need to recognize what is probably one of the main root causes for the unwillingness of the government of the Philippines to make any significant changes for the better.
For the most part, many politicians are not in the government to make the country better … they are there to stuff their pockets, and the pockets of their families and friends, with money thru corruption. They got into government because they had the right names, were movie stars or boxing champions or knew someone who owed they a favor — not because they were star pupils from some leadership course in college. Election to political office seems to be a “popularity contest” as opposed to a serious effort to elect the most qualified leaders.
I think corruption in the Philippines is perpetuated and indeed, survives, based on continuing things as they are — not on improvements to the broken system. To improve the “system” would basically mean wiping out a lot of corruption.
At the risk of being cynical, ten years from now we will probably still be debating this very issue. Still we should not give up hope that positive changes can be made to address these issues. Perhaps if the few people what really care keep chipping away at the system, improvements can be made.
Rich…You are right and thats a big 10-4 on what takes place here in the USA…Most of the politicians here in USA are Millionairs and only really have interest in what will make them better off and of course their relatives and close friends and etc…Things are not different as far as corruption goes in the Phillipines than it is here in the USA…in fact…I would like to see some one post on here 1 country in the world that is not pretty much corrupt.
Hi Rich321 – I think you are right, 10 years from now, we’ll still be talking, and nothing, or little will have been done. What a shame!
Correction..You are right and thats a big 10-4 on what takes place there also takes place in the USA.
Hey Bob, just a suggestion… ever think about forwarding a copy of your article/suggestions, as well as the suggestions received from the other LiP readers to the DoT? May fall on deaf ears so to speak, but all it may take is 1 sane person actually reading the ideas and seeing the light. 🙂
Hi KeithF – Well… the discussions here are free for anybody to see and participate in – including the DoT people. I would not feel it is my place to e-mail this to them and “tell them what to do”. If they think that we have something to say here, they can read it freely. But, I would not feel right going beyond that.
Ha! That would never work.
I once talked with a representative of the Philippine Department of Tourism. We were in Singapore at the time and she was complaining about a news article in the magazine I was editing because it was very negative.
I told her the simple truth -I don’t make the news, I just report it. Then I offered her free space on the magazine. Just send me some DoT press releases and pictures and we can get going.
Did she send me any pictures or press releases? Never. That’s the DoT for you!
Any other tourism department would have had pictures and stuff just lying around ready for use but not the Philippine DoT, they have nothing, absolutely no usable materials at all.
Seems like the cart before the horse here. I can definitely see lots of attactions for western and Asian tourists here in the Philippines, from Pagsanjan Falls to Bagio to Boracay, all beautiful.
But first thing is for the Filipino people and government to prepare for tourists.
May I suggest a new government sponsored slogan, “Keep the Philippines Beautiful”. Maybe start with “Keep Manila Beautiful”.
Filipinos need to start using trash containers and stop throwing everything onto the streets. People don’t want to visit a country on a vacation that is trashed. Remember, first stop is MNL, then most likely a hotel in Manila. The next morning, a walk through streets laden with garbage, guys urinating on the sides of walls, etc.
Cleanliness is very important to any tourist industry.
I believe we have to make tourists WANT to come here for scenic beauty, relaxation as well as excitement. And yes, the food and culture shows are worth a visit themselves.
I also think S.W.A.T. training needs to be high on the to-do list, the Hong Kong Hostage scenario tragically cost the Philippines tourist industry.
This country is loaded with a vast amount of beauty, but we need to behold and maintain this countries beauty first and foremost, then open the doors for tourists.
Sure don’t want to offend anyone, not my intent.
Hi Pita Mike – I don’t think you said anything offensive, so no worries. BTW, here in Davao, about 5 or 6 years ago the City purchased thousands of industrial quality trash receptacles. There are multiple trash cans on every street in the city, and they are used. If you throw your trash somewhere other than in one of those cans there are severe penalties! The city is very clean. Perhaps we are leading the way! 😉
You are right Bob, Davao is one of the cleanest and greenest cities together with Marikina and Las Pinas City in greater Metro Manila Area. They have an international award to prove it (from the UN I think).
I didn’t know about that international award, jonathan!
Pita mike, We just went through Manila this morning. You are absolutely correct. Like my wife says “Manila, one big trash can.”
Dave, Ouch! he he. But you’re right, even I as local admit that. Trash, traffic hardly any trees in Manila.. Gotta beutify the main city. First time impressions always seems to last and never fade.
The good news is that you can bypass Manila these days. As an example you can fly into Singapore and then fly Silk Airways (subsidiary of Singapore Airlines) direct to Davao City. If my wife had lived in Manila I think I would have left this country within 5 minutes. I loath that city with a passion and avoid having to go there if I can.
Ha ha… I can’t argue, Dave!
I spent at least 2 years researching The Philippines before I actually went there. It started when I saw a city name and its post code that just appeared in a local chat in Metro, New York. I wondered where this place was ( Iligan City ) but it did not take me long when I started typing the name in on popular search engines, and then on just about any website with a search box. Most of these websites were not commercial tourism websites but websites owned, operated, or used by the individuals that lived there. I found several forum sites that were very active with great pics, items of interest etc. I found many things in pictures that interested me and many of them were not really touristy things but things encountered in everyday life for the people that live there. Youtube was another great find, so much video on what could be considered a small to medium size city with the video being put up by the people who take pride in where they live. This kind of thing really impressed me.
Prior to all of this I knew nothing at all about The Philippines and just vaguely knew it was out in the pacific someplace beyond Hawaii. Yes, from all of the information I had accumilated in about 2 years there were times I got a picture in my mind it appeared to be a modern day version of ” The Wild West ” but that did not curtail my curiousity as I wanted to know why things like that are the way they are. I was still amazed just how much you can learn about a place on the internet. This was the first time I had done so much research on a place I had never heard of before.
I had pondered the thought of going to Iligan City to see it for myself. I read so many precautions but I came up with ways around that. A Filipino at work who is from Cebu who had not been to Mindanao advised me against going to Mindanao, it seemed that obstacles and precautions were comming at me from all directions. Then, it was the health precautions and so many precautions about not drinking the water, the ice, don’t eat this kind of food or that kind of food etc. ( Bob Martin set me straight on the food though ).
Was it the Beaches ? The Filipina Beauties ? The lush tropical foliage or any particular tourist site that made me finally decide to pick up my phone and call my travel agent ? Nope, none of the above. What really made me make up my mind was when I saw a pic of Jollibee on Tibanga Hwy in Iligan City. ( I never said I am the typical tourist LOL ).
On my first visit, I booked the lower cost domestic airline from Manila to Cagayan De Oro. Nothing wrong with the airline or the flight but I will kind of agree with the above posters comments on the Manila Domestic Airport although I arrived in Manila mid morning and not at night. I did not let it discourage me though, It kind of reminded me of local / regional airports here decades ago in some respects. Since the 1st visit I changed to Philippines Air for the domestic flight. I don’t recall having any problems at Manila Intl. Airport and the past couple of visits I thought things were quite improved from what I had read about it in the past.
In the time I had spent reasearching Iligan City before I went there I was able to make some genuine friends before I went there ( yes, I checked and crosschecked them to make sure they were who they said they are, checked some credentials etc. ) When I arrived at CDO I had an entourage and known reliable transportation waiting for me. I had booked an accredited hotel in advance by snail mail letter, two followup phone calls direct to the hotel, and confirmed by one of my friends there.
Talk about feeling ” Welcomed ” to a place I had never been before, I even had a personal letter of invitation for my visit from the Mayor of Iligan City, Mayor Lawrence L L Cruz !
I met many people on that first visit and just in general conversation some of them just could not believe I had never been there before, a few even though I lived there because I could easily recall details and tidbits of information from what I had learned on the internet.
The welcome and hospitality I received went well beyond any expectation I ever could of imagined. A lot of reservation I had about safety and security etc. were not forgotten but were no longer paramount as they had been in some of my initial thoughts about actually going there. Yes, I still keep a certain amount of awareness of my surroundings but in being toured around my my hand picked entourage it enabled me to see, do, and enjoy the things I wanted to.
Since that time, I feel I have taken an interest in Iligan City and in return they have taken an interest in me. Although some times in some of the things I wanted to see and do, prior arrangements had to be made, I was never denied any of these.
Iligan, as I am sure many other cities and localities have their own city website and dept. of tourism. They have realized the importance of tourism and I am sure other localities and cities have also. There is a lot more in the promotion of tourism, not by the Govt, not by commercial tourist type websites, but by the people that live there that really do take a lot of pride in where they live. I also consider Bob Martin and his websites as part of this.
The information is out there on the internet, you may just have to take some time and look for it and then double check to make sure it is up to date and current information. Tourist sites change, Hotels change, things go out of business, new things start up. There is a lot of out dated info on some of these sites and I favor the sites that keep current and continue to bring fresh information and insight, just like this one ( LIP ) .
Maybe I am lucky, maybe just about everything has gone in a positive direction concerning my visits to The Philippines. I never had any intention of moving there and for the most part I still don’t but I have had some of the most incredible and favorable things happen there that exceeded anything I could have imagined.
Between visits, I continue to visit websites that frequently update, Many of the places and things I want to see and do on planned future visits I get my ideas from Youtube, Bob Martins websites, the Iligan City website and a few others I frequent just about daily. Combine all of this and for me it’s the next best thing to actually living there.
What are some of the few ” Turn Off’s ” that I can think of ?
Can’t buy and own a house and the property it sits on.
It’s a differnt culture and pace of living that I am just not acclimated to and don’t know if I ever would adapt to it. Not that it is bad, but on a full time basis year round I just don’t think it is me, although for me its a great place to visit !
21 days only on just a passport. I really can’t take much more time off form my job anyway but maybe it is just wishful thinking maybe they could make it at least 31 days.
Many times I have had to silently remind myself that I am not in the USA, the standards are different and to accept them, which for the most part I do. After all, I am the one that has been interested in many of the ” Everyday ” things and I have found many of those things.
I went there looking for good things, and with good intentions. I found many good things and a hospitality that went beyond anything I ever experienced before. I am sure this same thing can happen to others, in other parts of The Philippines too.
To me, it is the people who take pride in where they live and take the time to put it on the internet and share it with the rest of the world who are the ones who can really sell Philippines to potentioal tourists.
Wonderful experiences, Bob. It just goes to show you that the DoT could make a major impact with good use of the Internet!
Hi Bob,
In 2002, in a casual meeting with some industry professionals in Cebu, sharing experiences, I brought up the power of being online. But just like everything else in the country, they found the minutest problem and say oh….but but but. Excuses, excuses, excuses. As far as the application of the internet in business and marketing they’re still behind. Look at that DOT guy who resigned over that domain choice and his amateur efforts. P100 m to jump start his social marketing, and he didn’t have a clue. A high school kid could have pointed that out. Anyway, the Filipino online forums took care of the PGK issue quickly.
Alex
Hi Alex – Unfortunately… very typical in my experience!
I think that any kind of tourism effort has to be concentrated outside Manila – as much as I have a home there and enjoy the place it really could not be considered attractive to tourists.The main problem is simply getting around and I dont see the traffic getting any better. There are places that would attract tourists – the 168 shopping centre in Divisoria for one – they would flock there under the right circumstances but have you ever gone there? The traffic is appalling and parking very limited so it turns into an endurance test getting there. Too many attractions become over exploited and ruined,some years ago Pagsanjan falls were removed from the approved tourist list due to the amount of paedophiles going there on organised tours – I do not know if it was ever restored to the list.
On a positive note we stayed at a resort in Bolinao in Pangasinan – very high standard – not cheap but well maintained,clean and very comfortable,ideal for high end tourists.The only thing that it did not have was a bar! drinks were available but there was no bar where people could get together for a drink,only a restaurant.It was convenient for Hundred Islands where we could find no accommodation that would suit tourists.The area around Bolinao has caves with underground lakes which we swam in and the beaches are good, the area is ripe for exploitation – even the road from Manila is well surfaced.The resort next door is owned by a Scottish doctor and his wife but was a little more expensive – being a Scot myself I took the cheaper option.I do not know if its permitted on this site to make recommendations but I would have no hesitation in promoting Puerto del Sol,Bolinao ,as a resort to visit.We have spent time in Subic but the resorts that we saw all seemed to suffer from the usual problem – lack of maintenance -facilities that had once been good allowed to deteriorate and many with poor beaches. There are good places but getting the word out is a problem – we have found a few over the years but it has been mainly by good luck – we usually just head for an area we want to visit and hope we can find somewhere – it does not always work!
The philosophy I have these days is enjoy the Philipines as it is – it has much to offer,but dont expect things to change.The corruption and soaring population will stifle any attempt to make things improve,except for the already wealthy,it will take a total breakdown to get a new clean start to get things moving and with the best will in the world this will not happen – society here does not like to rock the boat.Even revolutions here are quiet,peaceful affairs.
Hi Bryan – I have to agree about concentrating the effort outside Manila, but I don’t think the Government would ever do it. Manila is the jewel that everything else in the Philippines is centered upon… or at least that is what the government (in Manila) thinks.
We just got back from Guam last night. Doing the annual Balikbayan stamp thing. Guam is overrun with Japanese! They may have lost the war, but they control Guam again. The economy there is all aimed at the Japanese tourist market. as an American I found it a little frustrating that I could not find a shuttle bus schedule in English. BUT, Guam knows the Japanese tourist presence is where the money is at. There are some rough and tumbledown areas in Guam, but the average Japanese tourist never sees any of that. Shopping is an incredible draw, and there is NO SALES TAX! The Chorro natives are extremely accomodating to the tourists, and seem to bend over backwards to accomodate them.
Passing through TSA security was almost a pleasant experience, no one shouting and screaming at people like I have observed in LA and Chicago. Attitude of the employees makes a HUGE difference . Smiles and a cheerful disposition go a lot farther than the “rawhide cattle drive” mentality in mainland USA and here in Manila.
At 11 PM last night we entered Manila, terminal one, and right there is where I could see why tourism will never grow here in the Philippines. Shouting through a little glass hole at immigration, while the clerk mumbles incoherantly inside her little glass box. Go to the baggage area, and be knocked around by the “me first” natives, then hand your customs declaration paper to the clerk that looks like she overdosed on prune juice that morning. She asks a few question that you have already indicated No to on the document, then puts the paper in the stack. Never says thank You, Welcome, that’s all, your free to pass, nothing. Now remember, we as residents are used to this crap, but think back on your first trip here, and look at all this through the eyes of a simple “tourist”.
Now we go outside, and our ears are assaulted by at least a dozen ” Barney Fifes” with whistles permanently glued in their mouths. Of course we had to call the hotel, just like we did on our way out of the country 4 days earlier. “yes sir, already on their way” the same lie we got 4 days earlier. This after making arrangements by phone before our trip, and after sitting a half an hour waiting. It is about a 20 minute ride to the hotel, which is why I know they never left before we called. Both times were the same. Wouldn’t it be MUCH better to tell your customer to call once they arrive, rather than lie and make them believe someone will be waiting for them? Once again, common sense is non existant here.
No use even trying to describe the visual treats the average tourist would see driving through Manila. Most of us have been there, it has not gotten any better since I was there last year. And please, no “poverty” excuses. Poverty is not offensive, trash everywhere, falling down buildings, things like that are offensive to the average tourist. Again, we are used to this stuff, but I really doubt the Newport Rhode Island Ladies Travel Club would like what they experience here. Now get those little old ladies out into the provinces, sitting sipping Shirley Temples inside a Nipa themed eatery, or seeing the incredible beauty looking out over the valley during a rice harvest, and it becomes a fascinating slide show at their next meeting back in Rhode Island.
My personal thought, it is too late for tourism to flourish here in the Philippines. Too many factors weigh against getting someone other than returning Filipinos home to see the relatives, and Americans like me love struck by that incredible beauty he has been chatting with, and coming to meet; to view the Philippines as a “must do” vacation spot.
You don’t paint a pretty picture of your arrival Dave. It doesn’t surprise me… still makes me sad though.
All so familiar Dave!
Word of mouth is the best form (and cheapest) of advertising. I have taken many friends of mine with me on a trip to the RP and the comments all tend to be the same..”the people are great, love the weather, but the beaches have alot of trash around, dirty citys (trash), :”is that guy taking a pee??”. Like eating at a resturant, if its clean you talk about the great food, if its dirty you talk about how dirty it was, dispite the great food.
Bob,
I just saw this video taken from this year’s Philippines Independence day in the US and i got teary eyes while watching this clip and can’t help asking myself how can you not love the Philippines, we have a very colorful and rich culture w/ so much talented people not to mention our natural resources back home. It seems to me that Filipino expat’s around the globe are the best people who knows how to promote our country very well, just to looking at this clip makes me think that if only filipinos unite for the interest and betterment of the country and our people, we will probably stand out or if not can compete to the other neighboring countries…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_h5EJ6MrUGk
I do not mean to be rude but Overseas Filipino Workers are HORRIBLE at promoting their country…and that really amazes me. I have talked to literally hundreds and hundreds of them and either they stay quiet about their country…..or they talk about the poverty and the dangers ALL of the time.
Gosh this frustrates me. Heck, even within the filipines filipinos talk bad about their country. Ever stay in Manila and have a filipino ask you where you might be headed and you say Mindanano….oh my God!!! You would think you just mentioned Hell or life on some chain gang in Siberia.
Or talk to a filipino in Mindanao and mention Manila and they bad talk Manila all the time. Really very territorial people.
The overseas filipino workers mostly do NOTHING to promote their country.
Hi Todd, I believe the reason Overseas Workers don’t promote the Philippines is because once they leave the PI and see the rest of the world, even the Middle East, they see more pride in cleanliness and the like.
When I was in Kuwait, the Filipinos claened the streets outside our apartment complex as well as inside.
In the Philippines, everything would be swept into the street and left there.
I am encouraged by what Bob said has happened in Davao, great to see pride in the city streets starting somewhere.
Rebecca,unfortunately overseas Filipinos are not the best at promoting the country – they usually tell you how unsafe every province but their own is,warn you how dangerous Manila is etc. I do not know how people become so afraid of their fellow citizens.In nearly 25 years of living and visiting in Manila I have never been threatened,robbed,insulted or in any way made to feel unwelcome despite at times being in places where I was assured I would be mugged or robbed. The only time I have felt concern was when asked by a Filipino German family in Frankfurt to find relatives who were in trouble – we got 2 armed policemen as body guards to enter an area of Pasay with a major drug problem -that indeed was scary,I knew such places existed but it was worse than I thought. Too many OFW’s give a bad impression of the country – I have worked with them since 1977 so have known quite a few
It looks like Vietnam will have 5 million visitors this year and they want more……http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/Industries/206366/Tourist-arrivals-set-to-hit-five-million-.html…..I think the Phillipines could do as well or better if they deicide to put the effort in to it and decide it is important……
I belive this is the link……lINK HERE
From what everyone here is saying an orientation for OFW that are leaving the country might be the best thing to help. Explain to them the statistics for crime where their from and other areas of the Philippines then compare them to other places in the world. Just seeing the statistics and explaining to them they are the representatives of their country might make a big difference. Though I know a lot of crime goes unreported or at least unrecorded here in the country.
Just this week we went to look at some land in Alvenda an area that is supposed to be developed for tourism soon (near Dipolog in the mountains). I have an idea for a hotel/resort I want to build but also wanted some farmland to go with it so I wanted a large parcel. We were supposed to look at 16 hectares but after taking our truck as far up the mountain road as I dared we walked anther 2 kilometers or so only to find out that the parcel he was showing us was only 3 hectares the one we wanted to look at was much farther. Oh well a wasted day.
I was really amazed that the road was so bad. I grew up on a farm in the hills and am willing to drive places most wouldn’t, I question how safe the road was even for motorcycles. This road is supposed to be officially turned into a national road at the first of the year and is supposed to be paved soon (not sure about the definition of soon here). Perhaps the locals are letting it go for the national gov. to fix?
Anyway I would be willing to put up with a dirt road for a year or three while it is being paved but I have to be able to get my truck up their or we cant live there. Since I have limited funds we cant just buy it and hold it for a few years it needs to be where we are going to live. Besides I want to get started building the soil and growing things.
I really want to get moved into the cool mountain air and it was beautiful up there. Just for kicks were going to look at an island this week that is supposed to be for sale (not sure about that though). Maybe I can trade my truck in for a boat 🙂
oh.. i just saw this thread .. i read in the papers few weeks back?? …. that the new website was closed down. Because if you replace one !! just one of it’s letters on the website, it then becomes a porn site… i think it was the F and P in the pilipinas …..
Hi JC – Yes, I mentioned in the article about the porn site. I guess they didn’t do their research!
hello Mr. Bob. if you don’t mind to help us in our research study. because i really admire your article about The Poor use of the Internet and other Media to promote Philippines tourism. and I choose that to be our title in our research because i know Department of tourism is really disappoint us as a tourism student because of lack promotion.
Sure steph, if I can help you I will. But, you didn’t really say what you want me to do for you. Please update your comment and let me know what kind of help you are looking for.
Hello again Mr.bob , how can we prove that our topic that media can promote Philippine tourism and what are the things that we need to do to support our topic? =)
Hi steph – I guess the best thing you can do is to search out examples of the DoT and other tourism related agencies and businesses not making effective use of the net. Search for hotels that make it nearly impossible to book a room online. List these things in your report to show that the country is making effective use of online strategies.
Hi Mr Bob;
I am traveling for 18 months around eats Asia and I have to say that I am having no to much fun her in Philippines, the beaches are gorgeous, good food, many cultural places from the Spanish time, awesome landscape…I am traveling alone and I have to say that people are much less friendly than any other country in Asia, the do not smile, even the children, the staff in the hotels are very cold and far away to feel comfortable and it is something insane the times that they say the word “SIR”, I have count it and sometimes it is more than 10 times in a conversation of 2 minutes.They say that it is for respect, it is not, it is automatic, because they can not stop doing it.Because like yesterday as the same time they are saying sir, they are talking by the mobile or sending sms…I try to be positive everywhere I go but after some weeks I have to say that people in Philippines are far away of being charming ot friendly, most of the time they are just correct(but the petrol expenses are correct too).I think that it is something cultural and the time that American Army was here make them to show in this way with the foreigners.I will come to the shelter to continue my volunteer job with the kids that make me feel really like home here in Philippines.
Thank you for your blog
Regards.
Josu
Calling a foreigner sir is so engrained in the Filipino culture, I don’t think it will ever change.
Greetings Mr. Bob 🙂
Well, I’ve read few comments on what you’ve written about our country. I’m a Filipino, a college, freshman student and I’m currently taking BS Tourism Management. My parents are often asking me, “Are you really sure about your course?” Ever since, I want to work in Airlines, someday. My Dad asked me if I’m aware about the PAL’s problems, was recently on TV, and I answered, “Of course, Dad.” I also told him that I don’t want to work here in the Philippines because I believe that this is a poor country and won’t be able to help my family, I’ll be a burden to them because of low salary and oh, Taxes!
For the gov’t, honestly, when I was in gradeshool and highschool, we wrote, discussed and reported about this, and the word “corrupt” was always there.. What’s new?! Since then, I told myself that I’ll be working out of the country because I want to reach my goals, I want to have a better life.
I know, as a Filipino, I shouldn’t tell these things about my own country but it is the truth, it is the reality.
We had so many wonderful places that some countries don’t have, however, there are only few tourists’ attractions now because of the fact that some Filipinos don’t know how to protect them or just don’t care. I’m sure there are still few people who study about this and I see some foreigners who give attentions, too, they really care.
Filipinos are known hospitable but base on what I’ve read in their comments, I felt bad, really bad, actually. 🙁
To tell you guys, most of us are really helpful, approachable, loving, kind, caring,… -and we used to smile a lot 🙂
Maybe you felt like you’re not welcome in our country because you met those people who treated you bad, please don’t stereotype us.
Despite of all these things, I still love this country, It’s the place I was born 🙂
We do still have so many things, places, foods, cultures, activities and many more to explore that you will forget those bad things you’ve experienced and will surely please you to come back 🙂
Hello Krezia – I don’t feel that I have stereotyped Filipinos. I have lived here for nearly 12 years now, and 90% of what I write on this site is very pro-Filipino. But, as you pointed out yourself, when it comes to tourism there are many problems. It is only Filipinos who can fix it, not me. I can make suggestions, though, and in no way do I feel that I am negative toward Filipinos.
No, Mr. Bob, I’m talking about the comments and not your site, maybe you’ve misunderstood what I’m trying to say. 🙂
Well, as what I see in tourism since then, there are problems, a lot.
Hi Krizia – If I misunderstood you, I apologize. Perhaps your use of English is different from mine, You addressed your comment to me, and said near the end:
Maybe you felt like you’re not welcome in our country because you met those people who treated you bad, please don’t stereotype us.
To me, that means that you are saying that I have stereotyped Filipinos, which I feel I did not. I guess our understanding of the language is different. But, I assure you that I have not stereotyped Filipinos.
mr bob
If i will wrote in DOT where should i address my letter ?
Is there specific address or email for DOT?
Hello Anna,
Here is the address that the DOT lists on their website:
T.F. Valencia Circle
T.M. Kalaw St., Rizal Park,
Manila, Philippines
mr bob,
thank you very much for your answer and kindness ^_^
No problem, anna. Happy to help.
Without reading this article or any of the comments, i’ll tell you what the problem is. It’s the culture and mentality of the average pinoy that drives thousands of tourists to other destinations. You may like it and embrace it Bob but there’s a reason why tourism is way behind other Asian countries here. How many times has a foreigner been victimised only for the police to turn a blind eye because they don’t wanna put away one of their own? This time a group of pinoys chose the wrong guy.
http://getrealphilippines.com/blog/2012/11/george-anikow-murder-violence-is-a-broad-and-profound-cultural-condition-in-philippine-society/
Starting off a comment with your first sentence does not instill a lot of confidence that you will have a relevant comment, Chris. I mean, you didn’t read the article or the comments, then how do you know that your comment is for or against the article?
Hi Mr Bob!
Greetings from Jakarta, Indonesia.
I am a Filipino and I work here in Jakarta as a Teacher for 2 years now. Since i came here, i have never honestly cared much about The Philippines’ tourism. It was only when i realized my role as an OFW and an ambassador of my country that i have dedicated myself in finding out the culprit of PH not attracting much tourist as i should. Once i was asked by my student if there are ‘nice places’ in the PH, i said ‘Yes, of course’ and in my mind i was mentioning all those beautiful tourist destinations that i can think of from AtoZ. And i realize that they were a lot better than those found in other countries. Like Boracay is better than Bali, Chocolate Hills would be better than this or that. Since my students do a lot of travels during school breaks, i asked the, if they were able to go the Philippines. and it hurt me so much to find out there were none (in my other class, only 1 or 2 passi thru manila to other country). So i asked myself, why and my brains could never answer back. Another instance was when my friends and i went to the mall. Coincidentally, there was a Travel-and-Tours Fair, in which i never found any trip or package to the PH and again, i asked my self a very huge WHY, OH WHY? And i answered myself with sarcasm that maybe it’s not enough to spend 3D2N (most common package being offered) to experience entirely the PH.
The real question on ‘WHY doesnt PH attract so much tourists’ still lingers in my mind and i cant sleep peacefully until this is answered. this is one of the reasons i asked Google for help and this helped me to get to you. thanks for the input and for the comments of others which somehow clarified my mind esp they are the tourists’ point of view. Well, i just hope and pray that these problems will be taken care of by those supposedly who are Responsible for. I hope too that these peeps will realize that these Problems are worth fighting for as they play significant roles in uplifting the image of my beloved country and to further lure tourists in the next years and to finally call the PH a top tourist destination. Thank you for your continued effort in creating a Pro-PH site. May God bless you even more.
Hi Flynn – Thank you for dropping by my site, and thank you also for leaving your comment. Yes, it is sad to me that the Philippines does so poorly when it comes to attracting tourists to the country, especially because the Philippines has so much to offer! For me, what it comes down to is that in the past, tourism officials in the country have really done a poor job in promoting the country, mostly because the budget that they are allotted is very small, they just don’t have the necessary budget to do the job properly. However, in the past year or so things are starting to change for the better in the area of tourism promotion, so hopefully tourist numbers will improve too!
Take care, Flynn, and thank you again for commenting.
Just my own opinion, having lived in Singapore for almost 2 years now, one of the reasons I see why the Philippines does not get the tourist traffic it could get is “access”. Most of the locations we are trying to promote require 2 flights to get to, except for Manila, Cebu and some other location, most of the other places require one more flight. If you think about it most of the places I have visited in Asia that are considered good tourist attractions only require one flight (i.e. Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket, Bali, etc). Some of these places require long taxi rides but they are still just one flight into the country. If the Philippines can only improve airport facilities into these locations (Caticlan, Puerto Princesa, Poro Point, etc), I firmly believe we can get more traffic into the Philippines. Or at the minimum make the international to domestic airport transfer seamless to the tourist!
You make some pretty good points, francis, and points that we have discussed many times here. Thanks for stopping by and commenting.