More flights needed to boost Iloilo-Guimaras tourism, says US diplomat
United States Counselor for Economic Affairs Larry Memmott said Iloilo and its neighboring island-province of Guimaras has the potential to emerge as attractive alternative popular tourist destination in the region other than Boracay island.
Memmott, in an interview Tuesday, said China is the next major overseas tourism market for the Philippines including Iloilo and Guimaras provided it puts the right infrastructure and additional flights to Iloilo City.
He said waves of Chinese tourists would move out of China in the next decade to enjoy pristine and white beaches in other countries. Iloilo City and Guimaras could have a share of the tourist arrivals of the Chinese nationals.
Data provided by the Department of Tourism in Western Visayas showed that there were 12,720 tourists from China who visited Boracay in 2007. In the East Asia, the Koreans posted overwhelming tourist arrivals of 128,909.
Memmott said the beautiful beaches and other attractions in the province of Guimaras could be an option for tourists who want to come to Boracay.
There is not enough square inch for tourists in Boracay, said Memmott, who along with his wife visited the resort island before going to Iloilo.
The ASEAN region is becoming a prime tourist destination because of the high costs of traveling to traditional tourist destinations such as the US and Europe. Many travelers opted to visit Asia including the Philippines particularly in Boracay.
Aside from Chinese tourists, Memmott also said the Philippines is also getting a share of tourist arrivals from Russia. He said there were Russians who visited Boracay. The Russians is also another potential market for the tourism industry in the country.
More Russians will come to the country with the great stories these tourists relayed to them by their fellow Russians. They enjoy the white sand beaches in the country. And they would return to the country once they are contented and satisfied with their first visit, said Memmott.
In attracting more tourist arrivals for Iloilo and Guimaras, Memmott suggested to improve the civil aviation capacity of the present Iloilo Airport of International Standard. "There should be more flights to Iloilo," he said.
Aside from making the place desirable, additional flights going to Iloilo will help a lot in attracting tourists. The accessibility of the place aside from its white sand beach and structures should be considered. The frequent flights to Iloilo would help boost the economy of the place through tourism-related investments, he said.