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GMA, Bush visits seen as rays of hope for tourism

Washington – President Arroyo’s successful state visit to the United States and President George W. Bush’s reciprocal trip to the Philippines in October are rays of hope in an otherwise bleak year for Philippine tourism, Tourism Secretary Richard Gordon said. The bonanza of publicity coming in months will keep the Philippines in the news and hopefully attract more visitors to compensate for losses suffered as a result of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and the global war on terrorism that have generally kept people from traveling, he said. Gordon estimated foreign tourist arrivals this year at between 1.5 million and 1.6 million from 2.1 million in 2002. There has been a huge increase in domestic tourism, but revenue earned in pesos cannot compensate for the dollar shortfall, he said. He pointed out that in April alone, the Philippines lost about $40 million in tourism revenue, which translates to over P2 billion. “Did we earn P2 billion last month from domestic tourism? I don’t think so,” he said. An air of uncertainty is buffeting foreign tourism throughout the world. “It has become a world of tremendous change that we will all still have to adjust to,” Gordon said. Gordon sees the Bush visit as a terrific endorsement for tourism. “People will be telling themselves “Hey, if Bush is going to Philippines, then it must be a great country to see,” he said. At a meeting between Arroyo and Bush and their Cabinets last Monday, Gordon said he complained about US travel advisories being too broad and open-ended and was given assurance that the system would be reviewed to see if it could be improved. He suggested the advisories be event-and location-specific and follow the same general alert status the Department of Homeland Defense uses to advise citizens of possible terror attacks – Low, Guarded, Elevated, High and Severe.

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PS, p. M-2

Before summer ends, bring your whole family to see the Philippines by car! Take the RORO to Boracay, Iloilo, and Dakak

Ad (Strong Nautical Highways).

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MS, p. 3

DOT revives moribund Paskuhan Village

San Fernando City – Tourism Secretary Richard Gordon is set to re-launch the 13-year-old moribund Paskuhan Village here in a bid to attract more local and foreign tourists. The new Paskuhan will showcase the region’s cultural and historical heritage through well-known festivals and exhibits as well as its local products, which will be sold to visitors. “Let the village be the one-stop shopping center for what Central Luzon has to offer in terms of tourist attractions, culture and tradition, arts and crafts, festivals and traditional products so that it becomes the lone generator of economic activitiesfor the people in the region,” Gordon said. The relaunch is slated for June 21, Gordon appointed Tourism Undersecretary Evelyn Pantig as the overall chairman of the project. The tourism secretary said Paskuhan could be the center for small farmers of Nueva Ecija, the famous wood-carvers of Pampanga, the ancient pottery makers of Calumpit, Bulacan, and the world-renowned lantern-makers of this city who want to sell their products to local and foreign tourists.

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Today, p. 3

Photo: Flores de Mayo in Manila

Manila Mayor Lito Atienza, hermano mayor of this year’s Flores de Mayo in Manila, and his wife Evelina, wave to spectators lined up along Roxas Boulevard to watch the traditional parade held every May to honor the image of the infant Jesus, more popularly known as the Sto. Niño. With the Atienzas are Tourism Secretary Dick Gordon, who is also hermano mayor for this year, with his wife Olongapo City Mayor Kate Gordon.

MS, p. 17

Photo: Guide Book

Sen. Tessie Aquino-Oreta receives a copy of Guide Book on Significant Facts, Events and Personalities in Philippine History during its launch at the National Commission for Culture and the Arts in Intramuros. With Oreta are Gemma Cruz-Araneta, president of Heritage Conservation Society, Cuban Ambassador Ramon Alonzo Medina, and Evelyn Pantig, Chair, NCCA and tourism undersecretary.

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M, p. 6

Asean countries urged to encourage inter-regional tourism

Kuala Lumpur – Southeast Asian countries should look to each other to save the regional tourism industry, which is struggling due to SARS, the Iraq war and terrorism fears, according to a regional forum held here last week. “All of us are reeling from the SARS heat,” Malaysian Tourism Minister Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir said at an Association of Southeast Asian Nations conference of travel organizations. He said the ASEAN governments should encourage their people to travel within the region, Indonesia and the Philippines should scrap exit taxes for residents intending to travel to ASEAN countries and Myanmar should loosen passport restrictions for its citizens, he said. “We are 500 million strong, if we treat ASEAN travel as domestic travel we will be able to sustain ourselves,” he said.

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PS, p. B-3

The story behind the Santacruzan

Feature article on Santacruzan.

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MS, p. 3

Flores de Mayo 2003 in Manila (photos)

Flores de Mayo’s photos.

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MS, p. 3

World’s First Bamboo Raft Race

Matabungkay’s Balsa festival perks up tourism (with photos)

Matabungkay’s Balsa Festival feature article.

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MB, p. B-6