Philippines hopes to attract 36,000 Indian tourists in 2007

The Philippines hopes to attract about 36,000 Indian tourists in the coming year by aggressively promoting itself as an attractive holiday destination and replicate an experiment it conducted with Chinese outbound travellers. "India is one of the most dynamic outbound markets whose travellers have a continuing need for new appetites. We are uniquely positioned to offer this," Philippines Tourism Minister Joseph Felix Mari H. Durano said at a presentation to promote his country as a viable Southeast Asian alternative to current hotspots Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia. Durano is with a large business and media delegation to inaugurate a representative office of the Philippines Department of Tourism. "Unlike traditional tourists who opt for beaches and sightseeing, our research shows that Indian tourists love the many facets of metropolitan cities and have a strong preference for shopping. The fact that they spend an average of $1,200 per visit makes them much-appreciated appreciated tourists - apart from the fact that they are repeated travellers," Durano maintained.

Towards this end, the Philippines, a cluster of 7,106 islands at last count, is initially positioning three cities - capital Manila, as also Cebu and Davao - for the Indian market. According to the minister, these three destinations offer the perfect blend of leisure, shopping, entertainment, dining and gaming. "We offer nature at its wondrous best, a multi-racial culture, unmatched adventure activities, unique arts and crafts, and a vibrant urban lifestyle. "Don't forget that we were ruled for 400 years by the Spanish and then the Japanese and the Americans. This makes us a unique blend of the east and the west that is unmatched in the region," the minister said. "Thus far, we had focused on our traditional markets of Japan, Korea and the US. Three years ago, we targeted China, from where, till then, just about 34,000 tourists had been heading for the Philippines. Within a year, the figure had almost quadrupled to 107,000. "Up to now, we have been receiving some 18,000 tourists. We hope to at least double this during 2007," Durano contended.

Given the fact that some eight million Indian tourists travel annually to foreign lands and that the figure is growing 20 percent annually, the Philippines hopes its arrivals will also increase incrementally, he said. Simultaneously, the Philippines is taking steps to send more of its tourists - currently a mere 5,000 - to India. "It cannot be a one-way situation. There has to be two-way traffic," Durano conceded. Speaking about connectivity, he said Singapore Airlines currently offered three flights a day from India to Manila via its home and one each to Cebu and Davao, the flying time from here being roughly six hours. The Philippines Department of Tourism was also engaged in talks with Malaysian Airlines and Cathay Pacific Airways to put together packages aimed at bringing more Indian groups to the country. During his four-day stay in India from Wednesday, Durano and his delegation and scheduled to meet with Indian tourism ministry officials and tour operators to discuss cooperative measures between the two countries.

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