By Katlene O. Cacho
Friday, September 2, 2011
TOURISM players should be looking at the Asian market as one of the growth drivers in the sector this year, a hotel executive said.
The continued surge of Asian travelers to the country may offset slower traffic from other foreign markets brought about by lingering problems in major economies like the United States and Europe.
“The industry now is looking at the ‘boiling’ Asian market,” said Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino (WCCHC) general manager Alfred Portenschlager in an interview.
While European and US markets will spend less or make fewer trips, booming Asian markets like Korea and China, among others, will continue to surge, he said.
Of the top five countries whose nationals visited the Philippines from January to June this year, four are Asian nations. The country received 1.9 million visitors in the first half of the year, about 12 percent more than the figure from the same period in 2010.
The tourism department’s website said the arrivals from East Asia rose 17.5 percent, led by Korea (429,569 visitors or 28.76 percent more than last year). The others from Asia in the top five sources of visitors to the Philippines are China, Taiwan and Japan.
Portenschlager, however, excluded the Japanese market, which dropped by 50 percent, from his projection. “It would take time for the Japan market to recover, but we are seeing a gradual growth in the second semester. A growth of 25 to 30 percent to end the year is already better,” he said.
Portenschlager is an Austrian national who previously worked as the general manager of The Lexington Plaza based in Shanghai, China. He is WCCHC’s new general manager.
Portenschlager said he wants to focus on improving the hotel’s product offerings, which includes improvements in food and beverage and customer service. He said the hotel will also be strengthening further its partnership with local suppliers.
WCCHC is undergoing a multi-million, three-phase renovation this year, which cost its property holding firm, Waterfront Philippines Inc., some P100 million in investments per phase.
Portenschlager believes the entry of new players in the hotel sector is a good sign of a booming tourism industry.
“We should not see this as competition but as an opportunity for more growth because these new players bring in new markets that the industry could benefit from,” he said.
When asked what he thinks needs to be improved for Cebu’s tourism industry, he pointed out the improvement of infrastructure and more direct flights.
“Cebu has already established its brand as a destination. What we need to work hard for is also to promote the country in a more positive way. The Philippines is one of the easiest travel destinations because of the language, culture, attractions and climate,” he said.
Last Thursday, newly-appointed Tourism Secretary Ronaldo Jimenez Jr. said the Philippines is not difficult to sell because it is one of the 10 most beautiful countries in the world.
Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on September 03, 2011.
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