RIYADH, 12 June 2004 — The tourism industry has been a major dollar earner for the Philippines, reaching a peak in 2000 as it generated vital investments, foreign exchange earnings and revenues as well as stimulating the growth of other industries like construction and manufacturing, according to a Philippine industry report.
“The innate hospitality of the Filipinos and the country’s natural wonders provide the Philippines with a natural advantage in tourism which is a sector recognized as a major contributor to economic development,” the report said.
In 1999, the country ranked fifth in terms of visitor arrivals among ASEAN member countries with 2.2 million tourists. Visitor arrivals to the Philippine declined to 1.8 million in 2001 from 2 million in the previous year as the number of tourists from major tourism markets, namely the United States, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and Germany dropped significantly due to various internal and external peace and order problems.
This consequently reduced tourist receipts to $1.7 billion from $2.1 billion in 2000.
The figures for 2001 and 2002 have not been as impressive, however, largely due to the global effects wrought by international terrorism incidents and the global economic slowdown.
The industry is a major source of employment for those in the hotel and restaurant, transportation, travel agency or tour operation, and retail trade sectors. There are around 3 million people employed in the hotels, restaurants, transport and communication industries as of October of 2001. Additionally, investments in tourism-oriented projects have increased to P678 million in 2001 from P514 million in 2002.
Hotel room rates in the Philippines are comparatively higher than those in its neighbors, and the average occupancy rate declined by 2.9 percent in 2001 from its figure the year before.
This did not deter tourists inflow, however, as a significant 24.6 percent of visitors stayed in the homes of relatives and friends. Almost all visitors enter the country through the various airports. Most visitors are males and usually belong to the professional, managerial, and administrative occupational groups. Visitors have an average annual gross income of $69,222.67 and usually spent roughly $100 daily during their stay in the country, a bulk of which is spent on accommodation, food and shopping.
While many of them have visited the country’s famous destinations like Baguio City, the country’s summer capital, the Bicol region’s Mayon Volcano which has an almost perfect cone, and Batangas’ Taal volcano. others have gone to witness fiestas (feasts) like pahiyas in Lucban, Quezon.
During pahiyas, the farmers’ produce are on display, sometimes hanging from the windows, as if to indicate thanksgiving.
