Central Luzon tourism targets Asians
CLARK SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONE--Some 200 leaders in the tourism industry in Central Luzon met here on Thursday to discuss ways to get a larger share of Japanese, Korean and Chinese tourists in the region.
Renewed focus on Asian tourists came as Japan, Korea and Greater China (Hong Kong, Taiwan and mainland China) ranked second, third and fourth, respectively, in Philippine tourism’s major markets, Department of Tourism reports showed.
These tourists contributed shares of 17 percent, 16.6 percent and 14.2 percent, respectively, to the 1.9 million arrivals in the country in 2003, and 2.05 million arrivals from January to November 2004.
Reports from the World Tourism Organization said tourists from China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore account for 65 percent of arrivals in the Asia-Pacific region.
Bigger market
Central Luzon’s tourism sector is looking more to these markets as the region’s share of tourists rose from 3 percent in 2000 to an average of 17 percent between 2001 and 2004, according to Philip Camara, private sector representative for tourism in the regional development council.
Camara said foreign tourist arrivals in the region increased by an average of 23 percent during the last five years.
The United States has remained the single biggest source of Central Luzon’s foreign tourists. Domestic tourists still comprised the bulk of visitors.
Economic planners said Central Luzon’s tourism industry improved as visitors shifted to Central and Northern Luzon due to the unstable peace and order situation in Mindanao, and as seven airlines mounted low-cost local and international flights from Clark and the Subic Bay Freeport.
Most visited
Zambales and Pampanga were the most frequently visited areas, followed by Bulacan and Bataan.
In Thursday’s workshops, leaders in the travel, airline, hotel and restaurant businesses, and government tourism officers worked out plans to develop competitive packages and marketing strategies and to deal with problems and opportunities.
“We have to think in terms of packages and not limit ourselves to individual travelers. We also need to address the lack of entrepreneurship,” Camara said.
Paul Lim So of the Philippine Tour Operators Association said of his group’s 100 members, “very few” companies offer tour packages. More are into services for outbound tourists, he said.
“There is money in inbound visitors,” Lim So said, citing a growing trend.
In the workshops, Clark and Subic continued to be chosen as entry points from which package tours adapted to the preferences of the three target markets are going to be farmed out to the provinces.
Central Luzon is promoting 164 tourist attractions.
The region also hopes to cash in on the holiday economics idea of President Macapagal-Arroyo in which she declares weekend days holidays, too, if these are in between no work days.
Renewed focus on Asian tourists came as Japan, Korea and Greater China (Hong Kong, Taiwan and mainland China) ranked second, third and fourth, respectively, in Philippine tourism’s major markets, Department of Tourism reports showed.
These tourists contributed shares of 17 percent, 16.6 percent and 14.2 percent, respectively, to the 1.9 million arrivals in the country in 2003, and 2.05 million arrivals from January to November 2004.
Reports from the World Tourism Organization said tourists from China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore account for 65 percent of arrivals in the Asia-Pacific region.
Bigger market
Central Luzon’s tourism sector is looking more to these markets as the region’s share of tourists rose from 3 percent in 2000 to an average of 17 percent between 2001 and 2004, according to Philip Camara, private sector representative for tourism in the regional development council.
Camara said foreign tourist arrivals in the region increased by an average of 23 percent during the last five years.
The United States has remained the single biggest source of Central Luzon’s foreign tourists. Domestic tourists still comprised the bulk of visitors.
Economic planners said Central Luzon’s tourism industry improved as visitors shifted to Central and Northern Luzon due to the unstable peace and order situation in Mindanao, and as seven airlines mounted low-cost local and international flights from Clark and the Subic Bay Freeport.
Most visited
Zambales and Pampanga were the most frequently visited areas, followed by Bulacan and Bataan.
In Thursday’s workshops, leaders in the travel, airline, hotel and restaurant businesses, and government tourism officers worked out plans to develop competitive packages and marketing strategies and to deal with problems and opportunities.
“We have to think in terms of packages and not limit ourselves to individual travelers. We also need to address the lack of entrepreneurship,” Camara said.
Paul Lim So of the Philippine Tour Operators Association said of his group’s 100 members, “very few” companies offer tour packages. More are into services for outbound tourists, he said.
“There is money in inbound visitors,” Lim So said, citing a growing trend.
In the workshops, Clark and Subic continued to be chosen as entry points from which package tours adapted to the preferences of the three target markets are going to be farmed out to the provinces.
Central Luzon is promoting 164 tourist attractions.
The region also hopes to cash in on the holiday economics idea of President Macapagal-Arroyo in which she declares weekend days holidays, too, if these are in between no work days.
Tonette Orejas, PDI Central Luzon Desk
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