PCCI bats for improved infrastructure

To double inbound tourists

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) has underscored the need for Philippines to further improve its infrastructure in order achieve its target of increasing tourism arrival and revenue for 2011.

PCCI vice president for tourism Samie Lim has estimated that the country would need additional investments of at least $5 billion in the next five years for the provision of soft and hard infrastructure for the tourism sector.

An additional $3 billion is needed for hard infrastructure expenditure in the next six years such as hotels and airlines, said Lim.

The Department of Tourism (DoT) is expecting to meet its target of 3.3 million tourist arrivals this year. Lim explained that the government and private should focus on 5As – arrival, access, accommodation, attractions and activities.

Arrival refers to efficient services at airports and seaports and adequate facilities; access to roads and other basic infrastructure; accommodation to hotels and restaurants; attractions to natural and man-made like beach, mountain and golf; and activities to rest and recreation.

Lim stressed that the country must also provide the soft infrastructures which are advertising and academic and industry linkage.

He also cited the need for academic-industry linkage which aims to boost tourism in the country. Industry infrastructureplayers can identify the jobs available
in the sector while schools can provide the students with the right skills for the jobs.

Lim is confident that the Philippines could double its tourist arrivals should these hard and soft infrastructures are provided.

Every tourist arrival translates to creation of one job. This means that the 6.6 million tourists also could generate 6.6 million jobs.

The PCCI has come up with a 10-point priority agenda aimed at raising the country’s tourism potentials at par with global tourism trends and standards by undertaking performance scorecards and targeting volume and value using the tourism 5As as key benchmarks. –EDU LOPEZ, Manila Bulletin