Push tourism roadmap forward
The current uproar over the inadequate airports across the Philippines that, in turn, resulted in high transport fares, is just one of the many challenges bugging the tourism industry. While mobility is very important in boosting the sector, tourism does not start at the airports. It all begins in convincing travelers to decide to choose the Philippines. Why should they visit Manila instead of Bangkok or Ho Chi Minh City?
For the majority of travelers, safety is a major consideration. Take the case of the Koreans, the country’s biggest tourism market since 2010 (except in 2021 and 2022 due to the pandemic). It accounted for 20.76 percent of foreign arrivals in the Philippines last year, but the number of Korean visitors dropped sharply by 18.49 percent to 1.35 million in 2025 from 1.65 million in 2024.
Erwin Balane, tourism attaché at the Department of Tourism office in South Korea, said this was primarily due to safety and security concerns, fueled by an uptick in reported crimes that victimized Koreans in recent years, citing the extensive coverage by Korean media of a fatal shooting of a Korean tourist in April last year by a motorcycle-riding assailant in Angeles City, Pampanga.
“Such incidents have eroded traveler confidence and reinforced the belief that the Philippines is less safe than competing destinations in the region,” Balane had noted in an email to the Inquirer.
Perceptions of risk
He added that Korean travelers now have a “heightened level of caution” toward Southeast Asian countries in general, redirecting their interest to places such as Japan and Taiwan, which are perceived as “safer” destinations.
Tourism is regarded by many countries as a low-hanging fruit. It offers great opportunities for emerging economies such as the Philippines as it creates the jobs outside the main urban centers needed to reduce poverty and inequality. However, it is an industry that is vulnerable to perceptions of risk, and many travelers’ decisions on where to go depend greatly on their personal view of the overall security situation in a particular country. Travel warnings issued by foreign governments play a key role in their decision.
The government must exert extra effort in keeping the country safe for both its residents and tourists. It also needs to counter the misleading assessments lumping the Philippines with dangerous countries that should be avoided by travelers. This should be handled by the DOT and Department of Foreign Affairs through their offices and representatives abroad.
Better value for money
Another issue that needs to be addressed immediately is what Balane said about Korean tourists preferring Vietnam and Thailand over the Philippines because these countries offer “a combination of affordability, convenience, and well-established tourism infrastructure.” He noted that the two countries have highly developed tourism industries with efficient transportation systems, a wide range of accommodations, and clearly organized tour services, making travel easy even for first-time visitors.
Vietnam and Thailand are also seen to offer better value for money given their reasonably priced food, shopping, and diverse selection of destinations and tourism products. In contrast, tour prices in the Philippines have risen significantly since the pandemic due to higher operational costs, increased hotel rates, and elevated service fees, while infrastructure development has not progressed as quickly as planned.
The poor implementation of the National Tourism Development Plan 2023-2028 (NTDP), approved by President Marcos in May 2023, may have a lot to do with these concerns. The move of Sen. JV Ejercito to file a resolution last week seeking an inquiry into the implementation of the NTDP is a very timely opportunity to once and for all look into the problems plaguing the tourism sector. Lawmakers should broaden the probe to have a comprehensive, instead of a piecemeal, approach to developing Philippine tourism.
Heritage and culture
The NTDP in itself is a well-crafted roadmap with far-reaching benefits if implemented properly and in a timely manner. The overall target is the transformation of the tourism industry and identified seven measures to achieve this goal, including the upgrading of tourism infrastructure and accessibility. Local government units will be tapped in developing more tourist sites and linking emerging ones to key destinations.
The DOT will focus on digitalization, enhancement of the overall tourist experience by incentivizing sustainable travel and improving safety and security in destinations. The national government will increase investments in creating “high-value” tourism experiences, highlighting heritage and culture unique to every region in the country, identifying Davao, Ilocos, Bicol, and Calabarzon as pilot areas.
Described by the DOT as the guidebook of the industry to put in place mechanisms for sustainability for many years to come, it sadly has failed to progress beyond a grand plan.
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