Too many reasons for tourists not to come again

This writer happens to be a frequent traveller, with hundreds of thousands of miles to his name. I have visited no less than 132 countries all over Asia, the Middle East, northern, central and southern Africa, eastern and western Europe, the Scandinavians, the northern, central, and southern Americas, including the Carribean, Oceania, and the wide, wide Pacific, from Hawaii to Papua New Guinea. And I am sorry to say that there are hundreds of thousands of tourists from all over the world who are lured to visit us. But after the visit, they usually decide not to come again. Why?

Tourism should emerge as the Philippine economy's new sunrise industry. We have all the makings of a great tourism destination. We have an English-speaking population who can engage all tourists in animated and meaningful conversations. We have world-class tourism sites carved by nature and given as gifts to the Filipino people by the Almighty Creator. We have the attractions and the reputation. But once a tourist comes, he or she is bound to discover the hidden deficiencies of our tourism systems. And then he or she decides never to come again. I will give eight reasons why. I hope our fellow Cebuana, Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco would have time to read and reflect on these.

First, our airline industry is not at par with world-class standards. The quality of airline services, the cost and the manner of engaging the tourists by airline industry frontliners leave so much to be desired. Employees of airlines, both organic and outsourced, are lacking the sophistication of a globally-competitive airline staff. They lack finesse in their communication skills, they do not have enough courtesy, much less customer orientation. Those who are manning the check-in counter are too focused on earning more revenue rather than delighting a customer from another country. Second, airport management and operations are mediocre, if not below the level of acceptability. Too crowded and topsy-turvy, personnel are not polite and do not have the sense of client orientation. There should be a course entitled Airport Management 101. We have a long way to go. Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, and even Taipei and Seoul are much better, not to mention the world's top airports. Some baggages are pilfered and there is too much delay in baggage handling.

Third, hotel services, costing, and customer communications and engagement can stand to improvement a lot. Many hotel staff are students who are on-the-job trainees. They are allowed to perform services without the supervision of regular hotel staff. The quality of foods and drinks are both below standards and too expensive compared to the global index. Complaints are not acted upon with dispatch and with politeness. Wi-Fi connections are horrendous, and the hotel staff are not friendly to guests who are in dire need to go online. Fourth, taxis and other modes of land transport are not sufficiently controlled and regulated. There are too many dishonest operators who turn off tourists. Fifth, restaurants and cafes need to upgrade the quality of their foods and drinks and also their services.

Sixth, other tourist-related establishments like bars, lounges, and spas are often the haven of pimps and unregulated sex workers. Seventh, whenever a tourist is victimized by pickpockets, muggers, and other undesirable elements, the police and other peace-keeping authorities are not accessible. Much less have the skills and the will to respond with a great sense of urgency. When tourists get sick of food poisoning, there is no systematic mechanism to extend immediate and accessible assistance.

And talking of food poisoning, there should be strict regulation of street food vendors, and consistent checking by local government sanitation and health personnel on the quality of food and the manner of handling them. Eighth, the DOT should look into the skills and the behavior of tour agencies and their tourist guides. The tourists and guests should not feel that they are being taken advantage of. They should enjoy their stay and their wandering around our wonderful and amazing sites and destinations.

It takes the whole country to help our tourism industry. After all, this industry gives many job opportunities to our people, infuses foreign exchange to our economic system and make the Philippines truly a land of meaningful enjoyment and pleasant memories.