Philippines: Senator Gordon Says New tourism

law to spur 'tourism rush'

Publication info: Asia News Monitor ; Bangkok [Bangkok]16 Mar 2009.

ProQuest document link

ABSTRACT
The Tourism Act of 2009 seeks: to regulate and uplift the standard of tourism services; to strengthen promotional
capability of our tourism industry; to create infrastructure such as hotel development and beaches; to encourage
private sector participation; to ensure and focus a cooperative approach among various agencies and institutions;
and, to ensure competitiveness and increase market share.\n

FULL TEXT
With President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's impending enactment into law of the tourism bill, Senator Richard
Gordon on Monday said he sees more enterprising Filipinos literally looking at the shores of their homeland for
fortune.
Americans had what was called the 'land rush', where people were invited to stake claims on uninhabited land. The
tourism bill challenges every Filipino to engage in a 'tourism rush' where all are enjoined to put their stake in new
areas that can be developed and promoted as tourism destination under the new law, said Gordon.
The new tourism bill which would soon become a law specifically provides for the establishment of Tourism
Enterprise Zones (TEZ).
Local government units together with private enterprises may apply for the establishment of a TEZ in areas suited
for tourism. Within the TEZ, entrepreneurs locating there will be entitled to incentives previously given only to
industrial locators.
The tourism bill is not a manna from heaven; it is a challenge for Filipinos to take stock in the beauty of their
homeland and the talents of their countrymen. We already have everything we need to become one of the biggest
tourism destinations in the world but it will not come without hard work, said Gordon.
The former tourism secretary also called on Filipinos with entrepreneurial spirit all over the country to look for
places in their home provinces that can be promoted as tourism destinations and work with their local leaders as
well as tourism officials to prepare it for development as tourist destinations.
We spot more areas for tourism development. Do you live near a beautiful beach, river, or waterfall? Is your area
good for hiking? Does your town have a great fiesta or do your people have colorful traditions? If you want to
develop this into a tourism destination, all you have to do is to get in touch with your local leader and tourism
official or even my office, said Gordon.
These "tourism enterprise zones" which will be set up in strategic areas, such as Cebu, Davao, Bohol, Laguna, the
Ilocos provinces, Pangasinan, Cavite, the Camarines provinces, Sorsogon, Boracay, Palawan, Iloilo, and other
provinces would boost the Philippines as a premier tourism destination not only in the Asia - Pacific region but
also to the rest of the world.
"We have many examples of how tourism can make a huge impact on a town. Donsol in Sorsogon grew immensely
after catching the eye of Whale Watchers and the Masskara Festival of Bacolod took them from the doldrums
when the sugar industry there experienced a reversal," he said.
"With the Tourism Act soon to be in place, perhaps we can imagine even some of our more impoverished provinces
transformed into tourist havens," he added.

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The Tourism Act of 2009 seeks: to regulate and uplift the standard of tourism services; to strengthen promotional
capability of our tourism industry; to create infrastructure such as hotel development and beaches; to encourage
private sector participation; to ensure and focus a cooperative approach among various agencies and institutions;
and, to ensure competitiveness and increase market share. - PNA

DETAILS

Subject: Tourism; Enterprise zones

Publication title: Asia News Monitor; Bangkok

Publication year: 2009

Publication date: Mar 16, 2009

Section: General News

Publisher: Thai News Service Group

Place of publication: Bangkok

Country of publication: Thailand

Publication subject: General Interest Periodicals--Philippines, General Interest Periodicals--Vietnam,

General Interest Periodicals--Thailand

Source type: Newspapers

Language of publication: English

Document type: News

ProQuest document ID: 1017996325

Document URL: https://search.proquest.com/docview/1017996325?accountid=31259

Copyright: Copyright Thai News Service Group Mar 16, 2009

Last updated: 2012-06-01

Database: ProQuest Central

Copyright 2017 ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved.

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