Turning the Tourism Tide in the Philippines

Friday, 21 October 2011 03:24

Written by Aaron Benedict De Leon

I could not get over the fact that we have gotten another dubious title from the international community. Much more, I cannot accept the fact that the gateway to the metropolitan Philippines is the worst amongst its neighbors worldwide.

According to “The Guide to Sleeping in Airports”, an interactive website that gathers reports from various viewers, the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Pasay City is now the “Worst Airport in the World.”, up from being the 5th worst airport during 2010.

Furthermore, the report goes on in saying that travelers often complained on “safety concerns, lack of comfortable seating, rude staff, hostile security, poor facilities, no (or few) services to pass the time, bribery, being kicked out and general hassles of being in the airport.”

A few months ago, the NAIA Management has already been notified of the 2010 findings, yet there seems to be no action being taken to address the situation.

Furthermore, I find it really weird that in the recently launched Php 565 Billion 5 year Transpo Infra Plan of newly installed DOTC Secretary Mar Roxas, there was little or no mention of improvements with the airport, except for the fact that they intend to decongest NAIA by reducing corporate and air taxi flights by around 50%. What you will find more ironic, in fact, is that part of the DOTC”s pipeline, includes the privatization of the NAIA.

Going way back…

The mishandling in Philippine tourism under the Aquino administration goes a long way back, besides from this incident.

Months ago, we will trace the failed attempt of the Department of Tourism to have a new tourism slogan for the Philippines.

And much longer than a year ago, the world witnessed before their very eyes the failure of our Philippine Police to save the lives of the Hong Kong tourists who were hostaged during the Quirino Grandstand stand-off.

“The Straight Path”, with an exclusive local stamp…

True, the Aquino administration has stamped its mark upon Filipinos its eagerness to pursue “a straight path” in the way it will govern our country. However, it takes more than a “campaign cliché” to attract foreign investors or much more, increased tourism in the country. It takes results, in the form of political stability, peace and order and economic soundness to spur portfolio investments.

We have seen major missteps in the way the tourism sector has been governed, and we have yet to see a concrete plan to improve our tourism figures, taking off from the mild gains of the previous administration.

Starting on the right track…

We are a country of beautiful and warm people, and a country of many natural wonders. It does not take a genius to recognize that characteristic of our people. We are also a country that takes pride in the vividness of our culture and the arts, thus our infrastructure should reflect that characteristic.

That recognition alone is where the tourism strategy should begin. US Ambassador Harry Thomas may have said that 50% of foreigners visit the country for sex tourism, but then again, why should we feel discouraged if we know we have more than sex to offer?

I feel that in order for a tourism strategy to be successful, the government must forge a stronger partnership with the general public in getting feedback.

It is the taste of Filipino’s- the taste for beauty, the taste for class which should exude itself in the structures of our air transportation systems. I’m sure that if you ask a Filipino passenger if the NAIA’s service passes their standards, 8 out of 10 would probably give it a failing mark. We can derive customer expectations out from the mouths of our own people, considering this trademark that we possess.

In order to promote the Philippines better, I’m sure Social Networking geniuses and even other marketing maniacs in the country could offer better suggestions than the “Pilipinas kay Ganda” slogan. This is a country of free, dynamic and creative thinkers, and let not the government or even tourism boards have the monopoly in dictating what is tasteful or not, as far as selling the Philippine brand is concerned. Let participative democracy reign in this endeavor, because at the end of the day, it is in the interaction of the Filipinos with foreigners which will make them come back to our country, not the superficial welcome offered by some government agencies.

Customer Satisfaction and Customer Experience can be derived from the strengths and weaknesses that we see from within, and I think our strategy in tourism should begin with this recognition and realization.

I egg on our government, particularly the DOTC, to start including our NAIA as part of its rehabilitation program in its plan to build up our infrastructure, for the very reason that it is the primary gateway to our country. As they always say, “First Impressions Last,” so let our NAIA be the ultimate sight of how beautiful the Philippines truly is. The DOTC must immediately put in the necessary changes to improve the structures and communication systems built within NAIA. We have to re-orient and encourage our Airport staff to be more representative of what truly Filipino’s are- hospitable, friendly and accommodating. Security check in airports, no matter how irritating it maybe for some passengers, must be given the highest premium. Most importantly, the facilities should reflect how we truly welcome foreigners, with so much warmth and coziness.

At the end of the day, I truly believe that the NAIA, and the image that it leaves foreigners, reflect how capable we are of handling investors and how capable we are of ensuring the safety and security of tourists here in our country. The initial image they will see through our airport, particularly NAIA, should show how warm and beautiful the Philippines is, from the scenery that they witness before their very eyes, up to the experience they have with our kind and generous people.

Tourism, after all, is not just business. Tourism is who we are, and what our country stands for.