RP-China travel & trade ties beefed up

China Travel Services

By ARLENE DABU-FOZ

The Philippine travel and trade industry is poised to pick up a multi-million dollar windfall from China, one of the world’s most powerful economic and military blocs, as their representatives signed a pact to beef up a mutually supportive travel/trade deal during President Gloria M. Arroyo’s recent state visit to the mainland.

Lawyer Alejandra C. Clemente, president of the Federation of Tourism Industries of the Philippines (FTIP), commended the President’s sweeping commitment with China, one of the world’s burgeoning markets, as RP tourism will surely get a lion’s share due to the two government’s reinforced ties.

“The development will definitely step up the country’s travel trade industry,” beamed Clemente who is also the president and co-founder (together with late husband Jose Clemente III) of the 32-year-old family-owned and inbound pioneer Rajah Tours and Rajah Group of Companies (RGC). She also heads the Philippine Tourism Business Club (PTBC).

FTIP pools together the six major sectors of RP’s tourism industry, namely, hotels, resorts and restaurants; airlines and shipping; travel agencies and tour operators; land transportations; meetings, incentive travel and exhibitions, and the multi-sectoral business groups.

FTIP member organizations include Hotels and Restaurants Association of the Philippines (HRAP), Philippine Hotel Owners Association (PHOA), Hotel Sales and Marketing Association (HSMA), Board of Airline Representatives (BAR), Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA), Philippine Tour Operators Association (PHILTOA), Association of Car Rental Companies, Inc. (ACRCI), Association of Professional Congress Exhibition Organizers (APCEOS), and Philippine Tourism Business Club (PTBC).
“What’s mainly crucial here is the waiver of visa requirements for two-way official visits between the Philippines and China. Such move will truly spur more travels from the mainland to our country and vice-versa,” said Clemente.

With the lifting of the travel ban in China sometime ago, the world has tapped a gold mine of a market that is expected to yield huge gains travel and trade-wise. China has more than 1.25 billion population and a record of about US$980.6 billion gross domestic product (GDP), posting double-digit growth annually. With these figures, the region is estimated to be the key recipient of the chunky spill over, with the Philippines as a top addressee.

Clemente was upbeat with the Chinese government’s commitment to finance the completion of the second phase of the North Railway project that will connect Manila to Clark, which will also benefit Subic, another major RP travel/trade zone. Some US$400 million has already been allotted to fund the first phase of the project, which is set to start anytime soon.

“This will also help facilitate travel and soon pave the way for more trade investment opportunities to Subic since it’s one of the major economic zones in the country,” stressed Clemente.

President GMA’s China visit, related Clemente, gave the Philippines a hefty portfolio of almost US$ 1 billion in terms of new funds and soft loans via joint accord to support transportation, communication, infrastructure, energy, agriculture, major livelihood and other commercial ventures.
As various Chinese multinational companies are estimated to fork more investments to the country, RP’s tourism industry gets another chance to rake in profits due to the near influx from the mainland, she said.

More travel and trade sprees are anticipated to incubate, especially towards next year when both countries cap the fete with bubbly toasts sometime in June to mark the 30th year of RP-China diplomatic links.

Likewise, travel and tour groups will aptly steer the market viability of China and RP by packaged trips playing up top tourist spots of both countries.

In a related industry development, Clemente highly praised the appointment of new Tourism Secretary Joseph “Ace” Durano, who she said, did so much to promote domestic tourism prior to his recent appointment.

A three-term Congressman (1998 – 2004) from the 5th District of Cebu, Secretary Durano set off infrastructure projects for the Port of Camotes Island in his native Cebu that spurred livelihood and propped up domestic tourism during his stint at the House of Representatives.

Secretary Durano, said Clemente, is perceived by the private sector as an intellectual, dynamic leader who will be able to put the industry on the right track towards a more viable path.

The private sector looks up to him to advocate crucial industry moves primarily in exploiting RP’s short-haul markets like China, Japan, Korea and other Asian nations. The RP-China pact is said to invigorate regional travel to the advantage of the inbound segment. “We count on Secretary Durano’s expertise to make the most of these prospects,” concluded Clemente.