Published on Sun.Star Network Online (http://www.sunstar.com.ph)
by Debra Magallon-Estero
THE Department of Tourism (DOT) is planning to involve members of local legislative councils in the country in identifying and developing more tourist destinations.
Tourism Undersecretary Eduardo Jarque said the DOT will implement a program that will involve educating town and city councilors how their respective areas of jurisdiction can be developed for tourism.
In an interview last week, Jarque said the program will enlighten the councilors on what they can do within their areas of responsibility for the tourism industry.
“It is also aimed to create an appreciation for tourism,” Jarque said, adding that the program is set to start within the month.
Within this year, the DOT targets to hold 10 conventions in 10 different venues nationwide. The department also targets atleast 100 attendees for each gathering. Travel, accommodation and food expenses will be shouldered by the DOT.
Cebu, said Jarque, is one of the chosen destinations for the convention but the final list is yet to be finalized.
The two-day program will tackle three main topics pertaining to the trends and issues of the industry. The first topic will talk about what makes a particular destination attract local and foreign tourists.
“Not every attraction is a destination,” Jarque told members of the media.
The DOT will also discuss how to market tourist attractions and teach councilors about market-matching.
The last topic will be on the trainings and standards of the DOT.
On the second day, the DOT will showcase a compilation of the best tourism practices by some players in the industry.
After the discussions, the participants will be allowed to shop for pasalubong (souvenir) so that they can get ideas how important product presentation is in the industry.
Jarque said the DOT hopes to attract many local government councilors, adding that 100 participants per destination would mean 100 success stories.
At present, there are 16,000 councilors who are members of the Philippine Councilors League. (DME)
Source URL: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/dot-eyes-lgu-councilors
Showing posts with label DOT. Show all posts
Showing posts with label DOT. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Condotels as econ zone
Published on Sun.Star Network Online (http://www.sunstar.com.ph)
by Debra Magallon-Estero
THE DEPARTMENT of Tourism is grateful that the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza) has expanded the categories for the type of enterprises that can be accredited as a tourism economic zone.
Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano said Peza also registers condo-hotels (condotels) as tourism economic zones to enable property owners or developers to raise funds for the project.
"Before, (the accreditation) was purely for hotels," Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano said last Friday when he signed the memorandum of agreement after the Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort and Spa was declared a tourism economic zone.Aside from Imperial Palace, Durano revealed that four other companies in Cebu, three in Boracay and five in Manila have applied for the same accreditation.
Developed by the Philippine BXT Corp (PhilBXT), the Imperial Palace is the first operational tourism economic zone in Cebu, Durano said.
Investment
As a tourism economic zone, Imperial Palace offers investors-those who will buy rooms in the resort as an investment-a scheme where they (investors) are "guaranteed" to earn eight percent of the unit cost every year for the first three years of the establishment's operation.
Together with the fully-furnished hotel room that he or she buys, the investors also gets a golf share.
After three years, Imperial Palace will offer an option to buy back the unit at the original purchase price.
At present, Imperial Palace is offering 70 one-bedroom suites with prices ranging from P9 million to more than P11 million.
As a tourism ecozone, the Imperial Palace will enjoy the same benefits as any other Peza-registered companies, including income tax holidays for four years and duty free importations of capital equipment.
Imperial Palace is expected to be completed within the year. By then, it will have a total of 556 hotel rooms. Its amenities include a water park, restaurants and a golf course within a 7.5-hectare property in Maribago, Lapu-Lapu City.
Durano described Imperial Palace as a "welcome addition" to DOT's Trabaho sa Turismo Fair next month.
"By April, Imperial Palace will open 1,100 (slots) for direct employment," he said. He added that new hotels that will open up in the next three years will continue to provide job opportunities, especially to those recently laid off from work.
Meanwhile, Durano said the DOT will settle for a P600-million budget, more or less the same amount as last year's, to fund promotions and campaigns.
"The big bulk of the government's budget will (be spent on social services) for laid-off employees of manufacturing firms," Durano said, adding that there is also no budget cut for the DOT.
This year, DOT plans to spend P90 million for promotions in the United States, P100 million for China, another P100 million for Korea, P90 million for Europe and P150 million for Asia Pacific countries. (DME)
Source URL: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/condotels-econ-zone
by Debra Magallon-Estero
THE DEPARTMENT of Tourism is grateful that the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza) has expanded the categories for the type of enterprises that can be accredited as a tourism economic zone.
Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano said Peza also registers condo-hotels (condotels) as tourism economic zones to enable property owners or developers to raise funds for the project.
"Before, (the accreditation) was purely for hotels," Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano said last Friday when he signed the memorandum of agreement after the Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort and Spa was declared a tourism economic zone.Aside from Imperial Palace, Durano revealed that four other companies in Cebu, three in Boracay and five in Manila have applied for the same accreditation.
Developed by the Philippine BXT Corp (PhilBXT), the Imperial Palace is the first operational tourism economic zone in Cebu, Durano said.
Investment
As a tourism economic zone, Imperial Palace offers investors-those who will buy rooms in the resort as an investment-a scheme where they (investors) are "guaranteed" to earn eight percent of the unit cost every year for the first three years of the establishment's operation.
Together with the fully-furnished hotel room that he or she buys, the investors also gets a golf share.
After three years, Imperial Palace will offer an option to buy back the unit at the original purchase price.
At present, Imperial Palace is offering 70 one-bedroom suites with prices ranging from P9 million to more than P11 million.
As a tourism ecozone, the Imperial Palace will enjoy the same benefits as any other Peza-registered companies, including income tax holidays for four years and duty free importations of capital equipment.
Imperial Palace is expected to be completed within the year. By then, it will have a total of 556 hotel rooms. Its amenities include a water park, restaurants and a golf course within a 7.5-hectare property in Maribago, Lapu-Lapu City.
Durano described Imperial Palace as a "welcome addition" to DOT's Trabaho sa Turismo Fair next month.
"By April, Imperial Palace will open 1,100 (slots) for direct employment," he said. He added that new hotels that will open up in the next three years will continue to provide job opportunities, especially to those recently laid off from work.
Meanwhile, Durano said the DOT will settle for a P600-million budget, more or less the same amount as last year's, to fund promotions and campaigns.
"The big bulk of the government's budget will (be spent on social services) for laid-off employees of manufacturing firms," Durano said, adding that there is also no budget cut for the DOT.
This year, DOT plans to spend P90 million for promotions in the United States, P100 million for China, another P100 million for Korea, P90 million for Europe and P150 million for Asia Pacific countries. (DME)
Source URL: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/condotels-econ-zone
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Stimulus for tourism
Published on Sun.Star Network Online (http://www.sunstar.com.ph)
by Debra Magallon-Estero
THE Department of Tourism (DOT) will roll out a “stimulus-like” package to encourage chosen markets to travel and spend in the Philippines despite the weakening of many economies worldwide.
However, Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano clarified this is “not a dole-out” from the government but rather “a support to the industry.”
The stimulus plan will come in the form of competitive tour packages to different target markets like Japan.
The number of Japanese tourists coming to the Philippines decreased last year.
Under the plan, Durano said, the DOT will work with volunteer airlines to offer discounted rates for Tokyo-Manila and Tokyo-Cebu routes.
Promo
Flight rates, which is planned to be slashed by 50 percent, will be offered to the market in the next three months starting February.
Instead of refunding airlines the price difference incurred by the discounts, the DOT will implement programs promoting the flights, said Durano.
The DOT chief is optimistic that the country will be at the forefront when the market bounces back.
“(Before), the number one constraint (of the industry) was capacity. Starting this year and in the next two years, new capacities will open up and we will achieve another growth spurt,” he told members of the media last Friday.
Durano was the guest of honor at the Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort and Spa after the establishment officially announced its being declared an economic tourism zone.
Capacity
Durano said that most of the tourism facilities that open in the next two years came between 2005 and 2006, like the Imperial Palace.
Citing the results of a DOT-commissioned study, Durano said the Philippines has the capacity to accommodate both the domestic and international travelers in the next two years.
The DOT has commissioned the Center for Research and Communications to compute the country’s tourist capacity, including present and future air seats.
“(But) there will be no excess capacity. (At present) hotel rates are not decreasing (their prices) and that means the demand is high,” he said.
By 2012, the DOT targets five million tourist arrivals in the Philippines.
In the meantime, Durano said revenues for the next three years will come from high-value products like scuba diving, ESL(English as second language) courses and medical tourism.
“Tourists (who get) these (products) are recession-proof markets,” he said. (DME)
Source URL: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/stimulus-tourism
by Debra Magallon-Estero
THE Department of Tourism (DOT) will roll out a “stimulus-like” package to encourage chosen markets to travel and spend in the Philippines despite the weakening of many economies worldwide.
However, Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano clarified this is “not a dole-out” from the government but rather “a support to the industry.”
The stimulus plan will come in the form of competitive tour packages to different target markets like Japan.
The number of Japanese tourists coming to the Philippines decreased last year.
Under the plan, Durano said, the DOT will work with volunteer airlines to offer discounted rates for Tokyo-Manila and Tokyo-Cebu routes.
Promo
Flight rates, which is planned to be slashed by 50 percent, will be offered to the market in the next three months starting February.
Instead of refunding airlines the price difference incurred by the discounts, the DOT will implement programs promoting the flights, said Durano.
The DOT chief is optimistic that the country will be at the forefront when the market bounces back.
“(Before), the number one constraint (of the industry) was capacity. Starting this year and in the next two years, new capacities will open up and we will achieve another growth spurt,” he told members of the media last Friday.
Durano was the guest of honor at the Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort and Spa after the establishment officially announced its being declared an economic tourism zone.
Capacity
Durano said that most of the tourism facilities that open in the next two years came between 2005 and 2006, like the Imperial Palace.
Citing the results of a DOT-commissioned study, Durano said the Philippines has the capacity to accommodate both the domestic and international travelers in the next two years.
The DOT has commissioned the Center for Research and Communications to compute the country’s tourist capacity, including present and future air seats.
“(But) there will be no excess capacity. (At present) hotel rates are not decreasing (their prices) and that means the demand is high,” he said.
By 2012, the DOT targets five million tourist arrivals in the Philippines.
In the meantime, Durano said revenues for the next three years will come from high-value products like scuba diving, ESL(English as second language) courses and medical tourism.
“Tourists (who get) these (products) are recession-proof markets,” he said. (DME)
Source URL: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/stimulus-tourism
‘Small’ markets help RP
Published on Sun.Star Network Online (http://www.sunstar.com.ph)
by: Debra Magallon-Estero
DESPITE the decreased arrivals of tourists from the country’s regular travelers, Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano revealed the “smaller markets” has helped the department “almost” achieve its growth target for 2008.
In an interview last Friday, Durano said tourist arrivals last year grew by two percent, or close to 3.2 million tourist arrivals.The Department of Tourism (DOT) has set the 2008 target at 3.5 million.
“We are one of the remaining markets that still achieved positive growth in the world,” Durano noted.
He said that in 2008, close to 50 percent of the country’s regular traveling market has decreased.
This includes tourists from Japan, Korean, the United States, Singapore and Hong Kong.
“The Japanese arrivals were better than expected,” he said but added that last year there were two million less Japanese travelers worldwide.
“But even when a bulk of the volume went down, the growth of the smaller markets (helped),” he said.
Among the emerging markets are the Russians, a market that grew 34 percent. French arrivals also increased 18 percent while tourists from the United Kingdom grew 10 percent. Australians and Taiwanese arrivals also grew between six and eight percent.
Durano, who said tourist arrivals will continue to contract this year, also believes the industry can still “manage to outperform the market” with close to two percent growth from last year by the end of 2009.
“We can only perform as well as the market will allow us to perform,” he added. (DME)
Source URL: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/%E2%80%98small%E2%80%99-markets-help-rp
by: Debra Magallon-Estero
DESPITE the decreased arrivals of tourists from the country’s regular travelers, Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano revealed the “smaller markets” has helped the department “almost” achieve its growth target for 2008.
In an interview last Friday, Durano said tourist arrivals last year grew by two percent, or close to 3.2 million tourist arrivals.The Department of Tourism (DOT) has set the 2008 target at 3.5 million.
“We are one of the remaining markets that still achieved positive growth in the world,” Durano noted.
He said that in 2008, close to 50 percent of the country’s regular traveling market has decreased.
This includes tourists from Japan, Korean, the United States, Singapore and Hong Kong.
“The Japanese arrivals were better than expected,” he said but added that last year there were two million less Japanese travelers worldwide.
“But even when a bulk of the volume went down, the growth of the smaller markets (helped),” he said.
Among the emerging markets are the Russians, a market that grew 34 percent. French arrivals also increased 18 percent while tourists from the United Kingdom grew 10 percent. Australians and Taiwanese arrivals also grew between six and eight percent.
Durano, who said tourist arrivals will continue to contract this year, also believes the industry can still “manage to outperform the market” with close to two percent growth from last year by the end of 2009.
“We can only perform as well as the market will allow us to perform,” he added. (DME)
Source URL: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/%E2%80%98small%E2%80%99-markets-help-rp
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