‘It’s time we move beyond reactive measures to innovative strategies that prioritize safety, fairness, and an unforgettable experience for every visitor.’
OUR first “tourists” came in the shape of Chinese merchants and conquerors like the Spaniards, who came in waves, with the last batch staying for 333 years as our colonial masters.
The Spanish Galleon trade and the influx of immigrants from Europe and the US in the late 19th and early 20th centuries fueled the early forms of tourism.
But tourism declined post-World II and had a short-lived revival in the 1950s, only to lose momentum in the 1960s going to the Marcos dictatorship era.
And we never recovered ever since.
Last year, while local tourists paid for 101 million room nights, a mere 5.95 million foreign visitors graced our shores compared to Thailand’s 36 million tourists or Malaysia’s 25 million, placing us in 7th place behind Cambodia’s 6.7 million.
The tourism department is eyeing to lure 8.4 million tourists in 2025, up from 7.7 million in 2024.
Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla recently made a candid admission – tourists aren’t coming because they don’t feel safe.
He courageously shouldered the blame, acknowledging that perceptions of violence, political instability, and even seemingly “ordinary” killings deter visitors.
Travel website HelloSafe even labeled the Philippines as among the least safe countries globally – a ranking later revised after a strong protest from our tourism department.
Forbes Advisor, which ranked the capital city of Manila as the 5th riskiest city out of 60 foreign cities in the world, has identified high digital security threats as among the risks for a tourist.
Among the top crimes committed against tourists are kidnapping, especially in Mindanao, armed robbery, sexual assault, murder and petty crimes like pickpocketing, bag snatching and drink spiking.
Simply adding more CCTV cameras, rolling out a 911 hotline, or acquiring more police vehicles, while necessary, won’t fundamentally shift the narrative.
We need to think outside the box and implement truly transformative measures.
First, we need to find ways to improve the tourist experience.
The infuriatingly long immigration queues and predatory taxi drivers are not just inconveniences but serve as the first negative impression.
The new NAIA consortium’s efforts to streamline processes are a good start, but we need zero tolerance for scams.
There should be a highly visible “Tourist Welcome Task Force” at every international airport, empowered to immediately address and penalize price gouging and scams.
Ultimately, there should also be a national rethinking of how we treat our foreign tourists. It ultimately starts the moment they step out of the plane.
The re-education should go beyond generic hospitality training but requires a societal shift, starting from local communities to national agencies.
It must be emphasized that every tourist encounter impacts our national image and economic well-being.
Finally, while safety concerns are paramount, we must also consider holistic approaches to enhance the visitor experience, including hotel accommodations.
Global booking platform Booking.com reports that the country’s $60 room a night is almost double the rate charged in Vietnam hotels with an average of $20/night, Thailand at $30, Indonesia at $40/night and Malaysia at $40 a night.
Incentivizing the development of more diverse accommodation options, particularly outside major urban centers, could not only offer competitive pricing but also disperse tourism benefits regionally.
Furthermore, addressing infrastructure woes like traffic congestion and flooding, especially in urban centers, is crucial.
The Philippines has all the ingredients to become a tourism powerhouse.
It’s time we move beyond reactive measures to innovative strategies that prioritize safety, fairness, and an unforgettable experience for every visitor.
Only then can we truly reclaim our previous place as the “Pearl of the Orient.”
