44 Places To Go In 2009

The New York Times have release its 44 places to go in 2009 last month and our fabulous island of boracay was one of the places to visit this year. Im happy that our boracay made it its just the description bein compare it to phuket makes me kinda sad. well its not bad to be compared to phuket it is one of the top destination in the world after all but i think boracay has its charm and phuket has it so the two great island should not be compared. boracay is one of god's best gift to the filipino people so i hope we will continue to love and preserve it.

anyway here is the post in the new york times website.

For The Complete List Click Here




Source: New York Times

Travel News: PUERTO PRINCESA UNDERGROUND RIVER MAKES HISTORY-Official Philippine nominee to the New 7 Wonders of Nature

The people have spoken: Palawan's Subterranean River will represent the country to the world.

Winner of the national qualifiers category, the renowned Underground River will be the Philippines' bets in the New7Wonders of Nature race. Results of the first phase of voting in the Official New7Wonders of Nature campaign were revealed today at the New7Wonders Foundation headquarters.

"We are proud to announce that the Philippine marvels have stood strong in the first round of voting. This affirms us of the support of Filipinos as well as other tourists in helping our natural sites make their mark in the global scale," Tourism Secretary Ace Durano said.

Recently awarded for his efforts and advocacy in ecological tourism, he added, "With billions of supporters all over the globe, promotion of spectacular sites from all over the world has been set to greater heights. It is also very important to call on the sustainable promotion of these tourism sites, which are nature's blessings."

The first stage of the Official New7Wonders of Nature campaign officially ended with the old year. At midnight on December 31, 2008 on the International Date Line, all voting was suspended on the New7Wonders website until today, January 7th, for the organizers to tally and verify all votes.

Tia Viering, Head of Communications for New7Wonders, says "We congratulate the successful qualifying locations from the Philippines and wish them the best of luck in the second phase of voting."

She added, "We also at this time highlight the strong and enthusiastic participation of the other national nominees that are not proceeding—many have already benefited from a significant increase in worldwide awareness, which in itself is a recognized important benefit for all involved in the New7Wonders campaigns."

According to the Foundation, these magnificent natural sites are amongst the 261 nominees now one step closer to potentially being chosen one of the Official New7Wonders of Nature by the people of the world.

"The Philippines' wonders besting the others truly give us more reasons to strengthen not only the promotion, but the preservation of our natural sites," Eduardo Jarque, Jr., Undersecretary for Tourism Planning and Promotions remarked.

Jarque further said, "The New 7 Wonders campaign, gaining participation from numerous supporters will inevitably translate to increased interest in seeing these magnificent places. We thank and congratulate all Filipinos who have made their voice heard through the online polls."

The Philippines' Underground River shares the spotlight with the Coral Triangle, a multinational participant. Spanning eastern Indonesia, parts of Malaysia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Timor Leste and the Solomon Islands, the Coral Triangle is the global center of marine biodiversity and one of the world's top priorities for marine conservation.

Of the original 441 nominees, 180, or more than 40%, were eliminated as the next stage begins today until July 7, to select the Top 77 - the pool from which the 21 Official Finalists are chosen.

The qualified 261 national and multinational nominees from the 222 participating countries feature iconic locations such as the Grand Canyon, Loch Ness, the Black Forest, and Mount Fuji, alongside the Amazon, the Danube, the Dead Sea, the Great Barrier Reef, Iguazu Falls, the Kalahari Desert, Mont Blanc, and Niagara Falls.

As in the original successful campaign that chose the Official New 7 Wonders of the World thanks to more than 100 million votes, the N7W Panel of Experts will select the 21 Finalists from the top 77, which will be announced on July 21, 2009.

At that time the third and final phase of voting will begin, and the people of the world will then have approximately 2 years to vote amongst the 21 Finalists for the Official New7Wonders of Nature, to be revealed in 2011. Over 1 billion votes are forecast.

Source: tourism.gov.ph

Travel News : Philippines, ‘Ecotourism Destination of the Year’ awarded by FRANCE

MANILA, Philippines - The French can’t seem to get enough of the Philippines these days.

Fresh from being featured in two seasons of “Koh Lanta,” the French version of “Survivor,” the country recently clinched another honor: the coveted “Ecotourism Destination of the Year” title in the 2009 edition of Nature, one of France’s biggest travel fairs.

A jubilant Joseph Ace Durano, secretary of the Philippine Department of Tourism, broke the good news at the recently concluded Top Resa travel fair in Paris.

Colleagues from DOT and the Philippine Tourism Authority as well as representatives from the government and private sectors, which included some of the country’s biggest tour oper ators and resort establishments, joined him in the four-day fair.

The country’s participation culminated in a cocktail party hosted by DOT for France’s top travel executives. Dubbed as “Mabuhay Night,” the affair was hosted by Frenchman and “Koh Lanta” star Denis Brogniart and featured the Bayanihan Dancers, May Bayot and Acoustic Jive, champion bartender Ryan Burgos and “Koh Lanta” finalists.

Unlike Top Resa, which marked its 30th year, Nature appeals more to direct consumers as opposed to industry movers. The Philippines has been joining Top Resa for the past three years, and will debut next year in Nature. As the sole featured destination, all eyes will likely be on the Philippines.

“An adventure travel fair like Nature mirrors the French people’s preference for ecotourism,” said Durano. “It combines nature-based travel with a bit of physical activity and cultural immersion.”

Unprecedented

Durano attributed this latest development to a number of factors, foremost of which is the country’s selection as site of “Koh Lanta” for two years in a row. After shooting in El Nido, Palawan, in 2006, the show’s producers were back in late 2007, this time in Caramoan, Camarines Sur, with a new batch of competitors.

“This is unprecedented in ‘Koh Lanta’s’ history,” he said. “Since it debuted a few years ago, the show is watched by almost 8 million people every week.”

Images of the Philippines are likely to linger in French living rooms a year or two from now, as Durano finalizes details with producers of the French version of “Great Amazon.” The show, which reportedly has a bigger following than “Koh Lanta,” also wants to shoot an entire season in the Philippines.

“Based on exit surveys we did, foreign tourists spent close to $4.8 billion in the Philippines last year,” said Durano. “This figure doesn’t include plane fares and hotel accommodations, which they usually buy in their respective countries, and other miscellaneous expenses.”

After exceeding last year’s target of three million tourists by close to 100,000, the country, despite dire global developments, seems poised to meet its current target of 3.5 million tourists by the end of 2008.

Faced with a financial meltdown, the US market has begun to slow down. The same condition applies to Japan and other key European markets, except France and Russia.

“While global tourism continues to contract, the French market, as far as we’re concerned, grew by 29 percent in the first seven months of the year,” he said.

French arrivals to the country was in the red as recently as three years ago, making such a feat all the more impressive, Durano added.

Only the Russian market, which posted a 34-percent growth rate within the same period, did better. Both groups are known to visit a particular country for an average of two weeks.

“Europeans spend more as a whole because they stay longer,” said Durano. “Although the average amount they spend is lower than short-staying tourists, they end up spending more during their two- to three-week stay.”

Personalized service

But unlike Russians, who love to stay in big hotels that promote luxury travel, the French prefer small and quaint resorts where service is more personalized.

This explains why big players, with the exception of Sofitel Philippine Plaza, from such mature destinations as Manila, Cebu and Boracay were absent in Top Resa. In their place were relatively remote properties from Palawan, Camarines Sur and Bohol.

“We’re very careful not to position the Philippines in France as a place known primarily for big-city hotels,” said Durano. “The French have always been trend-setters when it comes to food, clothes and, as we found out, also travel.”

With a relatively minuscule promotions budget compared to that of Thailand, Malaysia and India, DOT has learned to become more selective and creative in its marketing thrust.

In lieu of major ad placements in CNN and BBC, for instance, Durano and his team led by Undersecretary Edu Jarque, Assistant Secretary Theresa Martinez and Team Europe head Verna Buensuceso have chosen smaller but more focused marketing venues to get the country’s message across.

DOT has tapped Frenchman Blaise Borezes, PR manager for the Asian market of Interface, a leading PR and advocacy firm in France, to promote the country as a tourism destination.

It was through Interface’s efforts that the country gained the attention of people behind “Koh Lanta.” The company is also responsible for identifying and inviting French travel journalists to go to the Philippines on familiarization tours.

After years of being relegated to the fringes through expensive tailor-made tour packages drawn up by a handful of French experts on Asia and such activities as diving and trekking, the Philippines is now slowly inching its way into the mainstream.

For one, said Borezes, a growing number of tour operators in France now include the Philippines in their window displays. They likewise offer the potential French traveler a choice between costly tailor-made tours and more readily available and affordable group-tour packages to the country.

Serious efforts

The country’s 83-sq m booth this year, although similar in look with previous efforts, was much bigger to accommodate all participants than when DOT first joined Top Resa. It only goes to show, said Borezes, that the country is serious in its efforts to promote tourism and has now joined the ranks of major players.

“Interest in the Philippines is bound to intensify after Jet Tour and Bacamces Tramsat, two of France’s best tour operators, recently launched the Philippines as one of its major destinations,” he said.

The French, he added, are always on the lookout for newer, more exciting destinations in Asia. Those who first stumbled on the Philippines were pleasantly surprised to find out the country, apart from its postcard-pretty beaches, has an interesting Latin heritage that’s totally unique in Asia.

“The French are always looking for culture in a country,” he said. “They love visiting old churches and going to markets to experience how life is in a particular place. If you travel so far, you need to find something different yet familiar. You don’t travel for 15 hours just to see a nice beach.”

Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 05:48:00 10/05/2008

Travel News: Cebu Pacific flies Manila-Osaka

Cebu Pacific (CEB), the airline business unit of Gokongwei-owned conglomerate JG Summit Holdings Inc., will fly direct from Manila to Osaka, Japan three-times weekly starting on November 20, 2008.

Using its 179-seater A320 aircraft, the new service departs every Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday at 1:30pm and arrives in Osaka at 6:25pm. The return trip takes off at 7:10pm and arrives in Manila at 10:05pm.

Osaka is CEB’s first destination in Japan and it’s fifteenth in Asia after Bangkok, Guangzhou, Ho Chi Minh, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Kaohsiung, Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur, Macau, Pusan, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, and Taipei.

Lance Y. Gokongwei, CEB President and CEO, said, “Japan has a very active and vibrant travel market. This service will be strategically important to the country’s tourism agenda and should also help us attain our goal of flying seven million passengers this year.”

He added, “The Manila-Osaka service will likewise allow our overseas Filipino workers to come home more frequently because of our trademark low fares. This will also generate interest among the Japanese market for our competitive medical and wellness tourism packages in the Philippines. ”

CEB is offering a one-way introductory fare of P1,999 on the Manila-Osaka route, a price cut of 70% from the current fares offered by other airlines. The seat sale will run from September 16 to 30, 2008 and is good for travel from November 20 to December 18, 2008. Fare is non-refundable and exclusive of applicable surcharges and government taxes.

After the seat sale, the lowest year-round ‘Go’ fare is P3,999, still a price cut of 40% from the current fares offered by other airlines for this route.

CEB explained that passengers who avail of their ‘Go Lite’ fares can get P200 off of their fares. Bookings can be made via cebupacificair.com, CEB’s call centers, sales offices or travel agents.

Gokongwei emphasized, “With this long awaited announcement to fly to Japan, we hope that the public will take advantage of our seat sale and book their flights now.”

“CEB is the only low cost carrier in the world operating to the three major North Asian countries with services to China, Korea and now Japan.” Gokongwei concluded.

CEB is RP’s leading airline to the ASEAN region. The airline flew 5.5 million passengers in 2007 and has the youngest fleet of aircraft in the Philippines.

From Cebu Pacific News Archive

Travel News: 19th Philippine Travel Fair Triple X

The yearly 3 day travel fair in the country is happening again tomorrow at SM Megamall's Trade Hall. this is the day all the travel junkies out there have been waiting for. the theme for this year is xtreme i think they will focus on the adventure side of the Philippines so if your up for some cheap travel adventure then head on to SM Megamall Tomorrow Sept 12-14 2008.

Travel News: Universal Studios Theme Park Soon To Rise In RP

Universal Studios theme park soon to rise in RP
By Zinnia De La Peña
Monday, April 7, 2008
The arrival of a Universal Studios theme park in the Philippines is creating a huge buzz after the Genting Berhad Group secured the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.(Pagcor)’s nod for its proposed project within the Las Vegas-like Bagong Nayong Pilipino-Manila Bay Integrated Tourism City.

Pagcor chairman and chief executive officer Efraim Genuino said the Genting Group has committed to develop 35 hectares of the 90-hectare prime reclaimed land facing Manila Bay into a world-class tourist destination.

Genuino said the Genting Berhad Group is planning to invest $3 billion in the Manila Bay Integrated City, the Philippines’ biggest tourism development project.

The Genting Berhad Group owns the Genting Highlands Resort in Malaysia and holds the exclusive development rights of film giant Universal Studios in Asia. It has teamed up with its subsidiary Star Cruises and Alliance Global Inc., the listed investment holding firm of retail tycoon Andrew Tan, for its proposed project in the $15-20 billion casino resort complex along Manila Bay.

Genuino said the Genting Berhard Group’s proposal includes the development of leisure and entertainment facilities including a theme park, state-of-the-art theaters, amusement and cultural centers, retail and gaming center and hotels.

Universal Studio’s movie-theme Hollywood park has 13 attractions based on movies including Shrek, Jurassic Park and The Terminator. Excluding its restaurants and theaters, the theme park alone draws about four million visitors a year.

Besides Hollywood, Universal Studios has other parks in Orlando, Barcelona and Osaka, Japan.

Another investor group, Aruze Corp. of Japan is planning to put up an integrated resort featuring a hotel with 2,000 standard rooms and 300 VIP suites; a major oceanarium targeted to be the world’s largest; theaters, a sports arena, a Holy museum and a giant ferris wheel similar to the London Eye to be known as the Manila Eye.

The Aruze Group is likewise infusing $3 billion in capital for the development of 40 hectares of land in the Manila Bay Integrated City.

Genuino said Aruze, a leading gaming machine maker known for its ties with the popular Wynn Resorts in Las Vegas and Macau, may start development of its project in the second quarter this year which may take two years to complete.

Other groups whose project concepts have been approved by Pagcor include Bloomburry Investments Ltd. of Australia which will develop 15 hectares of the reclaimed prime land, and the SM Investments Corp. (SMIC).

Bloomburry plans to build a hotel, sports arena and other tourist attractions.

Genuino said SMIC has yet to hatch a plan for the Manila Bay Integrated City but said this would be a unique concept.

Tessie Sy, SMIC vice-chair, said that aside from developments within the Mall of Asia complex along Roxas Boulevard, the company may work on something in the future to further promote the tourism estate.

SMIC, together with international hotel firms Carlson Hotels Asia Pacific and Accor will develop and manage a 350-room hotel in SM Bay City, which will be located near the SMX Convention Center.

Meantime, two administration congressmen supported yesterday the Integrated Tourism City, saying the nation should rake in billions in potential income from the project instead of growing grass on reclaimed land.

“We also need jobs. We have 430,000 new college graduates a year, but not all can be absorbed by existing companies,” Palawan Rep. Antonio Alvarez, House trade and industry committee chairman, said in the midst of reports that Catholic bishops are opposing the plan.

Manila Rep. Amado Bagatsing said he would prefer “that we grow money instead of grass on reclaimed land in Manila Bay.”

Alvarez said the Pagcor project would put the country in a position to catch a portion of China’s increasing spending on gambling.

“Due to China’s growing affluence, its 1.3 billion people are spending $70 billion in gambling bets a year, according to one estimate,” he said.

He said the gambling revenues of Macau, a Chinese territory, increased by 47 percent to $10.34 billion last year and have exceeded those of Las Vegas.

He said the Pagcor project could also prevent rich Filipinos from going to Macau or Las Vegas and would allow them to “just spend their money here.”

Travel News: 4.17B Panglao Airport Project

The National Economic and Development Authority Board has approved a P4.17-billion project to build an airport in Panglao, Bohol.

In a statement released Thursday, NEDA said the airport supports the government's thrust to make Central Philippines a major tourist destination.

"The Panglao Airport Development Project... envisions opening up Central Visayas to more economic activities as well as enhancing the tourism potential of Bohol," NEDA said.

"This is expected to reduce travel time and cost of transporting goods and people. The project will also serve as a gateway for major tourist destinations in Bohol from other parts of the country and abroad," it added.

The proposed airport will be built on 216 hectares of land approximately 15 kilometers from Tagbilaran City, and will have a runway of 2,500 meters by 45 meters and passenger and cargo terminal buildings.

The project will be funded wholly by government funds from the Manila International Airport Authority, the Department of Transportation and Communication and some of its attached agencies, and the Department of Tourism. It will be jointly implemented by the DOTC and the MIAA.

The project is expected to start July this year and finish by April 2010

From: GMANEWS.TV

Travel News: PHILIPPINE HILOT WINS IN ASIA SPA AWARDS

Hilot, the Philippine’s own brand of touch therapy, is earning international fame as the prestigious 2007 AsiaSpa Awards recently recognized Mandala Spa & Villas Boracay’s Hilot Trilogy as Holistic Treatment of the Year.

According to Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano, “We congratulate Mandala for bagging this award. Citations of this magnitude indicate that our health and wellness destinations and services are definitely at par with world standards. They also open to us more opportunities in developing this type of industry.”

Established in 2005, the AsiaSpa Awards continues to be one of the industry’s most esteemed recognitions in the Asia Pacific region. It aims to set the standards, highlighting innovation and quality. Resorts, companies, organizations and personalities that take home the much-coveted trophy are deemed benchmarks for this fast-growing enterprise.

The awards are organized by AsiaSpa Magazine, the most recognized luxury wellness publication reaching more than 120,000 influential urban female readers across Asia.

This year’s search included categories on treatments, locations, products, teaching programs, events and individual efforts. A panel of 28 judges, comprising of spa owners, wellness experts and authors, decided on the most outstanding treatments and most original spa destinations.

The 2007 winners were recently celebrated at the Grand Hyatt in Hong Kong, which was attended by 350 leaders in the spa trade.

Mandala Spa & Villas stood out prominently as the only Filipino independent business among the roster of winners dominated by Thailand-based establishments.

Mandala is one of the first luxury wellness centers in the country to offer hilot. Located in a quiet and secluded area in Boracay, Mandala is steadily rising as one of the finest Asian destination spas. The company earlier won the 2005 AsiaSpa award for Treatment of the Year.

The spa’s two-hour Hilot Trilogy session combines three traditional healing therapies widely practiced in the Philippines. The deep-tissue hilot massage relaxes over-all tension and establishes equilibrium.

The dagdagay, of Cordilleran origin, uses two bamboo or rattan sticks to stimulate the soles and cleanse the body from specific points on the feet.

The bentosa portion of the treatment involves warmed glass cups that suction out toxins and improve circulation.

Hilot is currently one of the features that the Department of Tourism aggressively promotes in the international market for health and well-being destinations. Selling missions that incorporate this form of wellness therapy have been received enthusiastically by the Japanese, Chinese and European travel groups.

From Philippine Department of Tourism.

Travel News: Philippines Hosts International Medical Tourism Conference

The country’s top medical and wellness facilities and resort destinations take center stage as the Department of Tourism (DOT) announced that it is organizing the 2nd International Medical Conference (IMTC 2007). The event will be held on November 19-23 at the Hotel Intercontinental Manila in Makati City.

According to Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano, “I am calling on local stakeholders in the medical tourism industry, such as hospitals, wellness resorts, and healthcare financing services, tour operators and transportation companies to participate in this event and take advantage of the opportunity to meet and network with their counterparts around the world.”

The four-day event aims to develop medical value travel and to be the catalyst for industry alliances among medical establishments, health benefits companies, insurance travel partners, government agencies and other related enterprises. IMTC 2007 is expected to draw in more than 250 trade participants from over 23 countries.

“Being part of IMTC 2007 opens boundless opportunities for the participants. It is the global platform for everyone involved in medical tourism to address important issues and to strengthen their trade ties,” explained Elizabeth Nelle, director of the DOT Office of Product Research and Development.

Nelle added that the global medical travel industry is currently worth $40 billion with over 780 million patients are seeking faster, more affordable and world class medical care outside their home country. Insurers are looking for alternatives to contain the escalating costs of healthcare, while providers are developing programs specifically for medical travelers.

IMTC 2007’s keynote address will be delivered by Jonathan Edelheit, president of the Medical Tourism Association, USA. He is set to speak on the next wave of medical travel. Edelheit is also the vice president of the Optimed Health/ United Group Programs, an American organization that specializes in creating and administering tailor-fit company health benefit programs.

Workshops will be programmed to assist participants understand key topics in medical tourism, such as designing the scope of medical travel services, internal and external resources to ensure service delivery, developing holistic packages and providing integrated services that cover transportation, interpretation, logistics, hospitality care and post care options.

Site visits and guided demonstrations will also be scheduled to provide first-hand experience of some of the best practices existing in the country. DOT will be arranging tours to The Medical City, St. Lukes’s Medical Center, World City Medical Center and Asian Hospital and Medical Center.

The DOT will further arrange venues for medical contact exchanges, cross-country panels, business clinics, as well as sponsorships and exhibitions agreements. Forum sessions will cover case studies and best practices in India, Singapore and Thailand, as well as industry prospects in the Gulf Area and updates on the Philippine scenario.

Organizers will provide delegates with post conference trips to some of the country’s top destinations.

A special highlight of the said event is the International Medical Travel Excellence Awards, which will recognize the outstanding medical travel providers.

Durano revealed that the DOT is pushing to make the country one of the top destinations for medical tourism.

“We have some of the best hospitals and stand alone specialty clinics in Southeast Asia. The facilities and services are of top-notch quality and patients and customers can be sure to get the best value for their hard-earned money. Moreover, we have some of the best beaches and spa resorts. Our country is the place where medical travelers and their companions can be cared for with the warm, nurturing and friendly nature of the Filipino,” Durano added.

"From DOT"

Travel News: Palawan Voted As The Best Beach In Asia By Conde Nast Traveler

Conde Nast Traveler one of the most respected and widely read travel magazine voted Palawan as the Best Beach in Asia on their Great Asian Beach Finder article. Palawan stands out among other beaches here in asia also on the list are Phuket,Bali,Maldives and Langkawi. Palawan was consider as the countries last frontier it houses 2 of UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the coral rich Tubbataha Reefs and Puerto-Princesa Subterranean River National Park. also Palawan was on the list of Conde Nast !2th Annual "Green List".

Read The Full Story Here

Travel News: Tourism Sector Believes 2007 Will Be a Milestone Year

“This will be a milestone year for the tourism industry,” Tourism Secretary Ace Durano declared. “First semester statistics registered more than 1.5 million foreign tourist arrivals, and with the upbeat and sustained momentum of visitor influx into the country, we are looking at breaching, for the first time, the three million mark by year end,” he added.

Latest figures released by the Department of Tourism (DOT) show that arrivals for the first half of the year registered a 7.6 percent growth compared to the same period last year –a figure that supports the optimistic forecast.

With this welcome development and the upcoming peak season, the department also foresees increased visitor receipts to as much as US$2.9 billion or PhP133 billion this year. Visitor expenditure growth averaged 20.11 percent over the last three years, making the industry one of the top dollar earners.

Private sector and industry stakeholders continue to benefit from this growth as the amount goes directly to the hotels, restaurants, spas and resorts, souvenir shops, entertainment and transportation services – front liners of the tourism sector.

In 2006 alone, travel and tourism contributed an estimated 3.49 million jobs, strengthening the position of the sector as one of the employment generating industries of the national economy.

More than increased visitor arrivals, revenues and jobs generated, over US$2 billion investments have been poured into tourism estates, hotel and resorts developments in the country spread out into other emerging destinations such as Marinduque and Eastern Samar. The DOT, together with the local governments, is positioning other destinations such as South Cotabato, Bantayan Island, Pampanga and Camarines Sur for both travelers and investors to consider.

Durano revealed that an international luxury resort company is developing a six-star hotel in Elephant Island, Marinduque –a prime example of the global business community’s revived interest in the country.

Moreover, additional new routes have been opened such as Korea-Davao, Korea- Kalibo, Taipei-Cebu, and Shanghai-Cebu, among others. With India and Russia identified as the emerging and fast-growing travel markets, the department is currently negotiation new routes from these countries. Together with the Department of Foreign Affairs, visa-upon-arrival arrangements are also being finalized. Inter-island connectivity has likewise improved with flights increasing over the past year.

“It is still very much a supplier’s market for the industry as resorts and hotels are overwhelmed with the strong demand for rooms. It is a good challenge to have and we need to ensure that infrastructure development preserves and sustains the natural resources in these areas,” Durano noted.

“Our country is a multi-destination, offering a wide variety of activities and attractions anywhere from historical walks to water sports. This effectively reflects our culture, a total experience we aggressively and proudly promote in our target markets. More than activities and destinations, our strength and best asset is our people. We are famous worldwide for our warmth, generosity and hospitality. The milestone the industry has achieve confirms that we are on the right track and that we have set the momentum for 2008 and beyond,” Durano enthused.

Sources: Tourism Authority of The Philippines.

Travel News: Foreign tourists may stay in Philippines up to 24 months

MANILA, Philippines -- Citing the arrival of more foreign tourists, the Bureau of Immigration has increased to up to two years or 24 months the length of time visitors may stay in the country.

In a memorandum made public on Monday, Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan said tourists may extend their stay in the country every two months up to 16 months. After 16 months, a tourist must submit an application to the bureau’s immigration regulation division (IRD) if he wants to stay up to 24 months.

Beyond 24 months, a tourist would need the approval of the commissioner, the memorandum said.

According to Libanan, he decided to ease the bureau’s policy on visa extensions after learning that the number of tourists who extended their stay during the first semester of the year rose by 21 percent compared to 2006.

He said the BI visa extension office approved from January to June 2007 a total of 196,172 applications for extension of stay, compared to 161,984 in the same period in 2006.

“These statistics indicate that our country is fast emerging as one of Asia’s most favored tourist destinations,” Libanan said in a statement. He said a total of 468,281 foreigners arrived from January to June, compared to 439,526 in the same period in 2006.

Lawyer Gary Mendoza, IRD chief, said the new policy would apply to all foreign tourists regardless of nationality.

By Jerome Aning
Inquirer
Last updated 08:54pm (Mla time) 08/06/2007