Tourism
From The Report: Philippines 2014
View in Online Reader

As rich in natural beauty as regional tourism leaders Thailand and Malaysia, the Philippines’ history of under-investment, weak promotion and security troubles has made it one of the least-visited large countries in the area. But the Philippines is pushing hard to develop the potential of its tourism sector. Visitor numbers and revenues have been climbing steadily, though less quickly than those of neighbouring countries. Under the administration of Benigno Aquino III, the sector has received greater attention and growth has accelerated. The tourism sector is likely to roughly maintain its current growth rates over the next few years, with foreign tourist receipts growing at 10-15% annually and domestic tourist receipts rising by 20%. The acceleration of overall economic growth in 2013 suggests that domestic tourism growth could also rise further.
This chapter contains interviews with Ramon R Jimenez Jr., Secretary, Department of Tourism; and a roundtable with Jorge Sarmiento, President & COO, Philippine Amusement & Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR); Thomas Arasi, President & COO, Solaire Resort & Casino; and Clarence Chung, Chairman, Melcro Crown Resorts.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

Holiday maker: Domestic travel is the main market, but efforts are under way to increase foreign arrivals
OBG
plus

As rich in natural beauty as regional tourism leaders Thailand and Malaysia, the Philippines’ history of underinvestment, weak promotion and security troubles has made it one of the least-visited large countries in the area. But the Philippines is pushing hard to develop the potential of its tourism sector. Visitor numbers and revenues have been climbing steadily, though less quickly than those of neighbouring countries. Under the administration of President Benigno Aquino III, the sector…

Analysis

Diving deep: Sustainability is key to opening up far-flung destinations
OBG
plus

As the Philippines seeks to boost tourism arrivals and elevate remote rural populations out of poverty, developing ecotourism is becoming one of the government’s top priorities in the tourism sector. Born out of the environmental and conservationist movements, ecotourism aims to develop a new ethos for tourism in undeveloped areas that stresses learning about ecosystems and traditional cultures without harming them. With its abundance of remote and pristine islands, coral reefs, rain forests…

Interview

OBG talks to Ramon Jimenez Jr, Secretary, Department of Tourism (DoT)
OBG
plus

Interview:Ramon Jimenez Jr To what extent can a competitive tourism industry generate more inclusive growth and employment? RAMON JIMENEZ: The single biggest shift in thinking on tourism lately has been the reassessment of how it can spread its benefits more inclusively, create jobs and help alleviate poverty. Out of that has come a new paradigm where inclusiveness is not the objective but the strategy, meaning we will create jobs at the planning stage and not expect them to be generated…

Interview

OBG talks to Jorge Sarmiento, President & COO, Philippine Amusement & Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR); Thomas Arasi, President & COO, Solaire Resort & Casino; and Clarence Chung, Chairman, Melco Crown (Philippines) Resorts Corporation
OBG
plus

Interview:Jorge Sarmiento,Thomas Arasi,Clarence Chung What makes Manila a competitive gaming and entertainment destination, and what would make it more attractive to investors and tourists? CLARANCE CHUNG: The Philippines was one of the top five GDP growth countries in 2012, with a year-on-year growth rate of nearly 6.6%. We see immense potential for the country, which has a rapidly emerging gaming and entertainment market that is backed by demand from local residents as well…

Analysis

High stakes & high rollers: Diplomacy is key in maintaining growth in the Chinese market
OBG
plus

With its rising incomes and population of 1.3bn, China represents a vast potential source market for the tourism sector. As the nearest tropical country to China’s major population centres, the Philippines is an obvious vacation destination for the emerging Chinese middle class in search of adventure. But developing Chinese tourism to has proved to be tricky. The business has tended to grow in a series of frustrating starts and stops, dogged by strained relations between the Chinese and…

Analysis

Plenty of choice: New resorts and hotels are opening in the capital
OBG
plus

By sheer numbers, Manila is in the midst of a phenomenal hotel construction boom. According to Smith Travel Research (STR), Manila had 9968 hotel rooms under construction or planning as of April 2013, representing 43% of STR’s count of existing supply. Mumbai, with the next-fastest growth rate in the Asia-Pacific region, saw 25%, according to STR. The only Asia-Pacific city with more hotel rooms in its pipeline was Shanghai, however, it had a growth rate of less than 10%. The huge numbers…