“Tourism is now well recognized as one of the key ways to bring wealth experience from the richest to the poorest countries,” UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Secretary General Francesco Frangialli said in a message.
The UNWTO, a 150-member special UN agency that acts as a global forum for tourism policy issues and serves as practical source of tourism know-how, released an e-booklet on its website underlining tourism’s multifaceted role in promoting development.
The organization recognizes the role of tourism in establishing contacts, recognizing diversity and practicing tolerance.
It notes that the industry is bigger than cars, agriculture or electronics; that it generates $800 billion a year in international tourist spending – a sum that will more than double by 2020; and that it creates millions of jobs.
In the Philippines, tourism generated US$1,990.81 million revenues in 2005, a 30.7% mark up growth from previous year showing that the industry is a major contributor to the growth of the Philippine economy.
This increase according to Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano is due to the 20.1% growth of visitor’s arrival from 2003.
Time and again, it has been said by people who have been in and around the country, that the Philippines is equipped to take on the challenge.
We have one of the best tourist destinations from paradise-like clubs and beaches to wild-life sanctuaries.
Filipinos are very warm and have diverse cultural orientations. Ability to speak English is also an added advantage.
More importantly, Philippines has more than 8 millions ambassadors spread across the globe ready to promote the country by word of mouth.
All the government has to do is come up with a concrete program to effect all these. (S)
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