Tourism in the Philippines A recent assessment of the tourism industry in the country led to revelation that Philippines is yet

to fulfill its considerable potential and establish itself as a premier tourist destination in Asia, taking advantage of the increasing development of the Asia Pacific region into one of the worlds fastest growing tourist regions. To give an impetus to tourism, the Philippines government has adopted five broad policies and six strategic programs. They are:

Focusing on agricultural modernization Leveling the playing field in terms of access to economic opportunities Strengthening the capacity of the State Sharpening the countrys global competitiveness Using foreign policy in aid of development The related strategic programs comprise: Modernization of the rural sector Creating a world class service sector Promoting domestic competition Creating magnets for foreign investment and development aid Enhancing the assets of the poor Modernizing the political and government administrative systems.

It is the intention of the Government of the Philippines to re-position the country in the regional and long haul international tourism markets, moving it into a path of higher growth through a number of measures. These include continuing to improve accessibility to key tourist destinations, liberalizing civil aviation, facilitating investment into tourism, upgrading existing tourism products, investing in human resources development and conducting niche and mass marketing campaigns. Through these measures, it is hoped that a tourism culture will be instilled among Filipinos. As the backbone of development of any economy, the provision of infrastructure is a prerequisite towards attaining economic growth and improving the country's productive capacity. The anticipated growth of the economy is expected to exert more pressure on infrastructure support facilities. There are two major objectives for the infrastructure sector in the long-term:

To provide adequate, convenient, fast and safe facilities and competitively priced services to meet the primary needs of the population and To provide support facilities for the productive sectors and act as catalyst of development in desired areas.

The following are the general policies and strategies to be pursued in the next three years in support of infrastructure development under the Medium-Term Philippines Development Plan. (MTPDP):

Further encourage increased and broad-based private sector investments in the provision, operation and maintenance of infrastructure facilities through but not limited to the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) scheme. Improve coordination among national government agencies, local government units (LGUs), the private sector and affected communities in the formulation and implementation of infrastructure plans and projects. Ensure provision of adequate funds for required capital investment and operations and maintenance (O & M) with priority on the latter. Adopt the integrated area development approach in the planning, programming and implementation of complementary support infrastructure for regional growth centers, tourism areas, and identified poverty areas. Give priority to appropriate sanitation infrastructure facilities (e.g. toilets, water supply and sewerage) in Metro Manila and other urban centers, especially in depressed areas.

Government Initiative Boosts Tourism Industry in the Philippines A legacy of the Arroyo government, the National Tourism Act (R.A. 9593) has brought Philippine tourism to greater heights, boosting industry growth to 6.64% in the first quarter of 2010. According to statistics from the Department of Tourism, foreign arrivals increased by 7.89%, and domestic tourism by 6.09%. Metro Manila ranked first as the most visited destination in the Philippines, with a 37.10% growth rate and over 437,170 tourists. Cebu placed second with a 3% growth rate and 435,987 tourists, while Camarines Sur was in third place with 348,139 tourists. According to tourism secretary Joseph Ace Durano, the government expects at least 5 million visitors in 2010. Republic Act 9593, or the National Tourism Policy Act of 2009, was ratified by the Senate and House of Representatives on March 4-5, 2009. The law aims to strengthen the tourism industry in the country, and promote the Philippines as a premier tourist destination in Asia. Some of the laws components include the upgrading of international competitiveness through the institution of an accreditation, standard-setting, and classification system. Under this law, the Philippine Convention and Visitors Corporation (PCVC) would be reestablished as the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), which would be responsible for marketing the Philippines as a global tourist destination, and emphasizing its other products and services. The law also provides for the establishment of the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), an institution tasked with the designation, regulation, and supervision of tourism enterprise zones (TEZs) in the country. The National Tourism Policy enables the creation of tourism enterprise zones in strategic areas in the country, including Cebu, Davao, Laguna, Bohol, etc. The institution of R.A. 9593 has established the Philippines as a premier tourism destination in Southeast Asia. This was evidenced by extensive growth in the Philippines tourism industry;

according to statistics from the Department of Tourism, over twenty cruise ships docked in the Philippines in 2009. Foreign arrivals in these cruise ships increased by 2.24%, from 17,516 passengers in 2008 to 17,908 in 2009. Tourist arrivals in Puerto Princesa likewise increased by 21%, while tourist volume in Boracay rose by 20%, with 190,094 tourists during the first quarter of 2010. The tourist count in Bohol also increased by 4.20%. Through the coordinated efforts of the Arroyo government and the private sector, the Tourism industry in the Philippines has reported an extensive amount of growth in the last five years. American tourists continue to dominate the Philippine tourism demographic, with Canada coming in at second, and China placing third. According to Gregory Kittelson of Manila business consulting firm, Kittelson & Carpo Consulting, Were not only seeing an increase of visitors in the country, more and more foreign investors are also setting up tourism businesses in the Philippines. This bodes well for the long-term growth of Philippine tourism, which is expected to rise by 15% in 2010. Through the coordinated efforts of the Arroyo government and the private sector, the Philippines has emerged as a noteworthy competitor in the global tourism industry, specifically in Asia. MANILA, Philippines - A House bill seeking to establish a national policy on tourism and reorganize the agencies of the Department of Tourism (DOT) has been approved by two House committees, a statement on Monday said. The House committees on tourism and ways and means have jointly approved House Bill 5229 or the proposed Tourism Act of 2008, which proposes to make tourism "a primary engine of investment, employment, growth and national development." The bill aims to strengthen the DOT by reorganizing its various attached agencies attached to improve efficiency and effective coordination of government functions. It provides that the DOT consist of the Office of the Secretary, Office of Tourism Planning, Research and Information Management, Office of Product Development, Office of Tourism Standards, Regulations and Industry Manpower Development, Office of Market Planning, Office of Market Development, Office of Tourism Revenue Collection, Regional Offices, and the Office of Special Concerns, which shall be the primary planning, programming, coordinating, implementing and regulatory agency in the promotion of the tourism industry. Under the bill, the Philippine Tourism Agency (PTA) shall be renamed as the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone (TIEZA), a corporate body that shall designate, regulate and supervise tourism enterprise zones (TEZs) as well as develop and manage tourism projects in the country. The Duty Free Philippines (DFP) shall be reorganized to become the Duty Free Philippines Corporation (DFPC), which will be tasked to handle operations of the duty- and tax-free

merchandising system in the country. The Philippine Convention and Visitors Corporation (PCVC), meanwhile, shall be changed to become Tourism Philippines (TP), a corporate body that will be responsible for the marketing and promotion of the Philippines as a global tourism destination, highlighting its tourism products and services. The Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA) shall be attached to the DOT, while the Intramuros Administration (IA), National Parks and Development Committee (NPDC) and the Nayong Pilipino Foundation (NPF) shall remain attached to the department. The bill also provides that 40 percent of the proceeds from the sale of PTA assets shall be used as the agency's capital. More funding shall be sourced from a reasonable share of the collection of tourism development and promotions fee to be determined by the DOT, subsidies from the national government and net income from TP investments. The bill provides that the agency's P500 million capitalization shall be fully subscribed by the national government while TIEZA's budget shall come from its share of the collection of tourism development and promotions fees to be determined by the DOT, 50 percent of the proceeds from travel tax collections and income from projects managed by TIEZA, and subsidies and grants from local and foreign sources that may be received by TIEZA. The DFPC's P500 million capital, meanwhile, shall be fully subscribed by the national government while its funding shall come from internally generated income and other receipts based on the bill. House Bill 5229, jointly approved by the Tourism Committee chaired by Rep. Edgar Chatto (1st District, Bohol) and the Ways and Means Committee chaired by Rep. Exequiel Javier (Lone District, Antique) is a substitute measure for HBs 4, 173, 952, 1222, 1878, 2518, 2815, 2857, 3363 and 3803.

What Is The Relationship Between Hospitality Industry And Tourism Industry?

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Hospitality is the action of being hospitable. In other words, welcoming, helpful and providing a service to someone who is visiting. From that starting point, hospitality is perhaps most important in tourism and leisure because it provides the personal touches to a service such as a holiday and can encourage the tourist to

spend more time or money at a location and subsequently to return and recommend the place to friends. Whether working as a receptionist at a big hotel, a waiter in a restaurant or the proprietor of abed and breakfast, if the person is friendly and helpful then it can often make up for small issues which otherwise might be blown out of proportion. Being respectful and providing for the needs of guests, where appropriate, is a key part of the job of someone in the tourism industry. While this may be done from the point of view of etiquette, if the person is genuinely personable and interested then it can make a huge difference. Hospitality is a term that can be judged in many different areas of the tourism industry, from the initial arrival and transport arrangements through to food and beverage service and accommodation provided. It should not be forgotten that hospitality extends to the departure as well; when a guest is leaving it is important to leave a good last impression since all your good work can be ruined at this stage.

The hospitality industry is all about customer service, and customer service can be a challenge. In business terms, the customer is always right; however, in reality, customers can sometimes behave horribly and make life quite miserable for hospitality staff and management. Therefore, maintaining a positive image is the main characteristic of the hospitality industry - along with great customer service. To explain this concept in more detail, think of a typical hotel as an example of a hospitality business; then, consider the type of client who will complain about every little thing, such as the temperature of their room, and then proceed to bad-mouth the hotel to friends and family, creating terrible word-of-mouth advertising that harms the reputation of a business.

Hospitality Businesses Work Hard To Maintain Their Reputations The example listed above is the reason why maintaining a reputation is the primary characteristic of running a hospitality industry business. Today, the image of a hospitality company must be monitored online, as well as in the community. Managers and PR staff must know what people are saying about their businesses, and they must work fast to do damage control when a bad comment or review is posted. It's vital to present a sunny, positive image to the world when a company is in the hospitality game. Many hospitality industry businesses spend big dollars promoting appealing images in magazines, on TV, on the radio, and on the Internet. Advertising that helps a business put its best foot forward is extremely important.

In the hospitality business, warmth, friendliness and service go hand in hand with efficiency, organization, and professionalism. Since hospitality is by nature a personal thing, this type of business has different characteristics than other types of businesses. People who excel in the hospitality business will represent the positive image of their company in every personal interaction with clients.