Why Philippines is not a favourite tourist destination ?

[ConfusedMe]

I was checking few travel magazines and even read some local newspapers, I was surprised that they have all the tourist destinations in Asia like Thailand, Vietnam, Bali and so on. So sad that despite how close the countries in Asia are, nothing mentioned about Philippines.

I may sound bias but I traveled to other Asian countries and I have to say Filipinos can speak better English, which is a plus for tourism. I know security issues and stuff like that are few of the reasons but I think other countries do have them as well...

What are your thoughts about this?

[RickyR]

The Philippines has the potential to be a great tourist destination, but the failure is the government's support.

At the moment you have a splattering of mediocre resorts with a few good ones and bad ones thrown around the country, a very poor infrastructure for getting into the country and getting to and from these resorts. Safety and security isn't particularly fantastic. The beaches aren't very well looked after and the water in places like cebu tends to be polluted and full of yuck!

Its internal airlines are currently not recommended for use by US and European governments to its citizens because of safety issues.

The only news that appears pertaining to the Philippines tends to be of a negative nature about the government or issues down south with kidnappings, which gives the impression of an unstable country.

When my parents visited in Cebu they were very uncomfortable. They found Cebu very dirty in general, were very wary about most places they ate and were often dissapointed. They enjoyed their visit, but it didn't live up to expectations when compared to places like Thailand or Bali.

The other issue is the scamming that goes on at the places of of interest, which scares people. Or being stopped by the police for bribes etc etc.

To make the Philippines a tourist destination, the government would need to put a lot of effort in to support that. At the moment, the government of the Philippines doesn't want any foreign interest and really doesn't like foreigners on its land. The upper echelon maintain their power by keeping out of the international limelight.

[andy222]

Hi Confused and Ricky good post, I have been to cebu I personally had a good time there. In fact there are dirtier places in this country, I often think why do people want to visit London? and Birmingham? I admit there are some scenic places in this country. As for scams wouldnt you say parking and congestion charges are a scam? I dont think the older generation would appreciate the philippines. Me personally I feel safer in the philippines than I do here. You can pick the newspapers up here and everyday there will be a stabbing or shooting here.

[philuk]

Mother wanted to meet the wifes family and see where she grew up, so at 85, off we went, admitedly we stayed with her in a hotel in Angeles, albeit away from fields avenue,

She loved every minute of it, loved sm mall, cos she didn't have to walk, it was a bit tricky walking down the ally to get to nanays, the footpath was a bit uneven, if you could call it a footpath,

The biggest thing she noticed was the respect everyone had for each other, she felt like the queen.

[andy222]

Ok I was in the hair salon in my home town when I found out about the philipines. The 2 hairdressers (LADIES) were talking about holidays. I joined in the conversation and one told me about Boracay and give me the link. I went home straight on the net and booked it within a couple of days. I asked her. How do you know about this place? She said my father is married to a phil woman and I go there for 3 weeks every year but I dont tell many people about it because its so beautiful.

[stevewool]

well there is good and bad everywhere on this planet, the more that go to the phils the more it may cost one day, but i think its the travel that stops many

[sim&lil]

The roads being so dreadful don't help, a 100 mile journey which in most countries takes a couple of hours can take upwards of five hours here.

The population use the country as a rubbish bin, filthy streets covered in littler and pee don't make it very appealing for tourists.

Malaysia and Thailand advertise themselves endlessy on CNN and BBC world and other cable networks, the Philippines doesn't.

[Englishman2010]

Why isn't the Phil's a popular destination from the UK/EU? Ricky sums up a lot of what the west sees wrong with the Phils
Many Brit's aren't even that sure where the Phil's is, and those who do know realise that it's stuck on the wrong side of the South China Sea, which means flight times of a further 3 or 4 hours. There is a lack of direct flights from UK/EU to Ph. With the demise of KLM's service, there will be no direct flights after April 2012. Most package tourists with a couple of kids in tow can't be bothered with transfers and waiting around in airport lounges for hours. They want to get on a plane and head straight to their destination. Thailand and Malaysia cater far better for EU tourists with direct flights to Bangkok, Phucket, Penang, Langkawi and KL.
Additionally, the Phil's doesnt promote itself in EU the way that Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia or even Vietnam or Cambodia do. When I tell people I'm going to Ph, they give the impression they think it's a filthy unsophisticated back water (which in all honesty, much of it is), but when I've said I'm going to Singapore, Hong Kong, Brunei, Borneo, Malaysia, Thailand or Vietnam they all want to talk about it and say how much they would love to go there and see such and such sites. TV travel programmes here regularly feature other SEA destinations and show them in a good light. People here know far more about Vietnam or Cambodia than Ph, and they've only been on the general tourist map for the last 10 years.
The only time we hear of Ph on TV is when 100's of people are killed by a typhoon, or when 50 people are killed in a bus crash, or if someone is kidnapped. There is a very negative opinion of the Phil's in Europe.
If I'm honest, I've become disollusioned by the Phil's, I feel qualified to say that as I have travelled there a lot in the last 2 or 3 years, 8 times in fact. I've also travelled around a lot of other parts of SEA, and my opinion is that what I've seen elsewhere in SEA is much better suited to tourists than in PH, the food is much better, everything is cheaper (except HK/SG), the infrastructure is better, i don't feel that everyone is out to scam me at every opportunity. The truth is, if my g/f wasn't a Pinay, I wouldn't go back to the Phil's for many of the reasons Ricky has stated plus the other reasons I've stated.
The Phils could become a great tourist destination if it invested properly, but as we all know, the people at the top are quite happy to cream off the money needed for investment for themselves.

edit: The Pinoys working in the toursim and service industry in PH also need to welcome tourists and cater for them, instead of seeing them as a target to scam/rip off. If they actively welcome tourists, give them a good service rather than the impression they are trying to rip them off, they might see a few more tourists which in turn will help boost tourism numbers and of course their income. Most Pinoy's only think about today and what they can make today, they can't look into the future and plan for it.

[sweetnote143]

the answers to this question: politics, lack of support from the government, lack of security

- for example, the governor of a certain province focused on eco-tourism, made a lot of effort, put a lot of money on this project. and here comes the election, sadly this said governor wasnt re-elected, reasons run a long list. The next elected official is from the opposing political party, and maybe a long time feud runs between the two politicians. The new-elect governor didnt pursue the eco-tourism project, in fact fired those people in charge of the said project because they didnt vote for him. That's one scenario that affects tourism or promotion of tourism in the country.

- For so many problems in the country, I dont think tourism will be the top priority. Every allotted budget for each divisions, or whatever they call it, is already not enough. Say for education, military, and food, which are the top priority of the country, these dont even have enough budget for a year. What is more for tourism?

- Rebels, terrorists in the country keep the tourist away from this beautiful country. Other thing, because of poverty, a lot of people are forced by their circumstances to kidnap, rob, hold-up, etc just to survive.

[sweetnote143]

the answers to this question: politics, lack of support from the government, lack of security

- for example, the governor of a certain province focused on eco-tourism, made a lot of effort, put a lot of money on this project. and here comes the election, sadly this said governor wasnt re-elected, reasons run a long list. The next elected official is from the opposing political party, and maybe a long time feud runs between the two politicians. The new-elect governor didnt pursue the eco-tourism project, in fact fired those people in charge of the said project because they didnt vote for him. That's one scenario that affects tourism or promotion of tourism in the country.

- For so many problems in the country, I dont think tourism will be the top priority. Every allotted budget for each divisions, or whatever they call it, is already not enough. Say for education, military, and food, which are the top priority of the country, these dont even have enough budget for a year. What is more for tourism?

- Rebels, terrorists in the country keep the tourist away from this beautiful country. Other thing, because of poverty, a lot of people are forced by their circumstances to kidnap, rob, hold-up, etc just to survive.

[Maria B]

Hello Confused Me,

It's not that it's not a fave tourist destination. Simply, other people from the UK doesn't know where & what Philippines is.

I am even a bit dissapointed if you are in the UK, there's no Tourist destination going to the Philippines. As Travel Bag said, British doesn't want to travel long hours or jumping to another airline or wait longer hours at the airport just to reach Philippines. Some English friends would ask me if Philippines is part of Thailand. It's a shame as there are a lot of beautiful places to explore way back home but Phil gov't failed to market it well. Oh yeah, there's Wow, Philippines http://www.wowphilippines.co.uk/offers/country/UK but it's not promoted well. All you can hear is mostly bad reputations that they heard from other people. I don't blame them. Maybe, they are just in the wrong area of their destination in the Phils.

I agree with you ...Yes Pinoys can speak better english than other asians with our tender loving customer care service which is not a skill, but a natural thing to us Pinoys. That's why NHS & private sectors loves it when there are Pinoys working for them.

Talking about DIRTY. There's a lot of dirty areas all over the world. Even here in the UK, some UK holiday hotel destinations are dirty as well. But why focus on the dirty stuff? If you don't like it, go to the other area of the place & explore & stop bragging about it. Like in Cebu, Philippines for example....yes there are dirty areas like other places in the world but have they seen the Sumilon Island, Moalboal Island, Bantayan Island, Camotes Island, Malapascua Island & some resorts in the South & North of Cebu, not to mention the small islets in Mactan area (for island hopping in a day)???? This are only names of the places but with different areas & sites to see.

Lots of beautiful places to explore Philippines attractions by City that tourist doesn't know:
Luzon: Sagada (Sumaguing Cave & Hanging Coffins), Corregidor, Rice Terraces, Mt. Pinatubo, Mt. Mayon, Intramuros, Ilocos Norte, Vigan, Tagaytay (Taal Lake & Volcano), Subic, Clark, etc.
Visayas: Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary (Cebu), Boracay, Bohol, Samar (Calicoan Island), Siquijor, Kawasan Falls Moalboal Cebu, Romblon, Panay, Dumaguete, Tacloban, Iloilo, Calanggaman Island Leyte....etc.
Mindanao: Naked Island & Dako Island Siargao, Camiguin, Surigao, Davao, Zamboanga, Cagayan de Oro, Bislig, Bukidnon, Iligan...etc.

Lucky are those who have seen the beauty of half of the 7,107 Islands of the Philippines. Also to mention Palawan's Underground River was among the New 7 Wonders of the World as of 12 Nov 2011.


I guess it's the airline flight frequency as well. It's too much for the airline to spend extra miles on their AvGas like:
*Cathay Pacific it's Heathrow London stop over Hongkong then final destination Manila or Cebu.
*If Malaysian Airline it's Heathrow London stop over Malaysia then final destionation Manila or Cebu.
*Qatar Airlines it's Heathrow London, stop over Qatar then final destination Manila or Cebu.
And a lot of Int'l flights from Heathrow London then stop over before Philippines as Final Destination. There's also Int'l. Airline from Birmingham Airport but longer hours.
Lots of int'l. airline to check like KLM, Singapore & Brunei Airlines, etc...It depends to travellers final destination in the Philippines either in Manila: Ninoy Aquino International Airport or in Cebu: Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority.

Unlike in Malaysia, Thailand, Bali, Vietnam....they are just a bit nearer for a package tour but airline doesn't want to spend extra miles for example you are in Malaysia then will spend another 3-4hrs going to the Philippines just for a tour??? Options would be a holiday in the Philippines then either spend the holiday - locally (depends what's your interest in like nature trekking, scuba diving, bird watching, nature lover trip, extreme adventure, family beach resorts) or international direct flights from Philippines to (asia) Hongkong, Japan, Korea, Brnuei, Malaysia, Vietam for a package tour.

[Maria B]

Why isn't the Phil's a popular destination from the UK/EU? Ricky sums up a lot of what the west sees wrong with the Phils
Many Brit's aren't even that sure where the Phil's is, and those who do know realise that it's stuck on the wrong side of the South China Sea, which means flight times of a further 3 or 4 hours. There is a lack of direct flights from UK/EU to Ph. With the demise of KLM's service, there will be no direct flights after April 2012. Most package tourists with a couple of kids in tow can't be bothered with transfers and waiting around in airport lounges for hours. They want to get on a plane and head straight to their destination. Thailand and Malaysia cater far better for EU tourists with direct flights to Bangkok, Phucket, Penang, Langkawi and KL.
.

agree

[lastlid]

Hi. This is a genuine question and not a statement, but are there places of cultural interest in Phils? Bangkok has it's fantatstic temples, for example. Is there anything comparable to that in Phils?

I loved visiting Boracay and Batangas and Tagaytay but was always annoyed by the street vendors who had a very "in your face" approach. It kind of spoiled the time spent there.

On the positive side, (scamming was mentioned in an earlier posting) scamming isnt just specific to Phils, it is rife in Thailand also.

[lastlid]

Sometime back this year I was in a relationship with a girl from Samar island. I discovered that there was many places of interest on the island yet it was difficult to get about. No hire cars or taxis etc. While foraging around on the internet I came across a document or two that suggested that there was a tourism explosion waiting to happen there and things were happening slowly but surely.....

[grahamw48]

The 'average' Brit tourist would find the Phils to be a very scarey and backward place.

The very reason I like it.

From a purely selfish point of view.....let our drunken idiots and their horrid badly behaved brats continue to create havoc elsewhere.

[Englishman2010]

Hi. This is a genuine question and not a statement, but are there places of cultural interest in Phils? Bangkok has it's fantatstic temples, for example. Is there anything comparable to that in Phils?

I loved visiting Boracay and Batangas and Tagaytay but was always annoyed by the street vendors who had a very "in your face" approach. It kind of spoiled the time spent there.

On the positive side, (scamming was mentioned in an earlier posting) scamming isnt just specific to Phils, it is rife in Thailand also.

I would imagine that due to various colonialists (Spanish, British, American) and more recently WW2 a lot of ancient sites will have been destroyed. Until the Spanish took over in the 1500's, it had been a Muslim area for centuries. The Spanish inserted their architectural influence in Intramuros and no doubt destroyed a lot of the Muslim architecture, but I believe that much of it was destroyed when the British took over Intramuros for a couple of years in the early 1800's. Then of course the US took over and the architecture followed US style. WW2 and the Japanese occupation combined with fierce shelling and fighting with the US and allies would have taken it's toll in architecture. Another factor why ancient building haven't survived could be the severe flooding and typhoons which affects Ph far more than neighbouring countries.
In a nutshell, I've found a lot of Spanish influenced Churches and Municipal buildings, and of course now, modern architecture is high rise blocks or sprawling malls

I agree scamming and street vendors aren't limited to just Ph, but I have found them to be far more prevalent there. I've had many great trips to Ph - Mindoro, Bohol, Panglao, Boracay, Palawan, Tagaytay....etc, but my last trip to Caramoan was very off putting, the locals there were the vilest humans I've met on my travels anywhere in the world, and this has left a bad taste in my mouth regarding Ph. So much that I don't particularly want to go back there any time soon, my next 2 trips east are to Vietnam and then Singapore/Malaysia and Thailand.

[lastlid]

Yes the street vendors. I imagine some people can blank them out of their heads but I couldnt do that. I think, towards the end I was dealing with them with humour but even so they still seemed to be with you wherever you went.

[grahamw48]

The vendors and other (millions) of poor folk make me feel very lucky.

Though I'm always careful regarding pickpockets, etc, I also avoid appearing arrogant, and try to show compassion for those less fortunate than myself.

Spread the love.

[lastlid]

The thread asked the question on why the Phils is not a favourite tourist destination. And that was something that put me off, as a tourist. Something that I imagine would also put some other folk off.

[Terpe]

The 'average' Brit tourist would find the Phils to be a very scarey and backward place....

I'd actually find that hard to argue against.

IMO Philippines is an acquired taste and to some extent it's a taste that, over the years, I've acquired. But make no mistake it's been a very hard road.
The only reason I've stuck to that road is down to the fact that it's the country of my wife and her family. That's why we visit.

I have to say IMO it's never going to be a mainstream tourist destination.

There's a lot to see in the Philippines, but they just don't show it!
It actually has great beaches, great scenery, mostly nice weather and generally friendly people. English is widely spoken and it can be a very relaxing place.

But...

There are hardly any direct flights from Europe and generally the cost of getting there is rather more expensive than to the regular tourist destinations.

There's no major attraction. No 'hook'. You know, a tourist reason to actually go.
No highest building, no great wall, no beautiful temples, no Taj Mahal no pyramids etc. People on this forum have only one reason to go and it's not a tourist reason.

Not much to put on that touristy 'bucket list'.
So what would a real tourist with no strong ties to the country actually find by visiting?

Unless you're prepared to stay for the duration in that luxury spa resort just metres from the cyrstal clears waters of Manila Bay, you'll find the transportation and infrastructure is hopeless. It just never 'cuts the mustard' for those 7-14 day tourist packages. That, after all is where the money is to be made.

Most of SE Asia popular tourist areas originated on the overland backpacker trails.
You just don't find that many backpackers travelling around the Philippines

So I guess there'll never be any newly discovered tourist spots.

[Englishman2010]

You're absolutely correct Terpe I'd say that the only reason 99% of us go there is for our other halves. Personally, I've had enough for now and want to see other places. It doesn't mean I won't go back, I'm sure I'll have to at some point, and will no doubt have a great time there, but I don't look forward to going there with the same sense of excitement that I did on my first few trips. In fact, after I left last time, I actually said to myself that I'd never go back again After my next 2 trips east, I'm seriously tempted to see what South America has to offer

[lastlid]

..........just metres from the cyrstal clear waters of Manila Bay......

Another reason.....

[gWaPito]

I was checking few travel magazines and even read some local newspapers, I was surprised that they have all the tourist destinations in Asia like Thailand, Vietnam, Bali and so on. So sad that despite how close the countries in Asia are, nothing mentioned about Philippines.

I may sound bias but I traveled to other Asian countries and I have to say Filipinos can speak better English, which is a plus for tourism. I know security issues and stuff like that are few of the reasons but I think other countries do have them as well...

What are your thoughts about this?

The time and effort it takes to get there. We have the Americas for example less than 9 hrs away without changing planes.

When you have limited time like 2 to 3 weeks max, you don't want to spend 4 days of that flying back and forth. This in my opinion why it won't attract main stream tourism.

[RickyR]

I don't totally agree with the "it's too far" excuse, because Australia is much further and remains very very popular.

If it wasn't for Marvie I wouldn't have gone back to the Philippines, nor lived there. The people are wonderful and there are some things worth seeing.

I've travelled the world extensively, well over a hundred countries visited. I thoroughly enjoy visiting Thailand, Malaysia, Bali, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, Macau, Korea but in the Philippines get easily tired.

There are some amazingplaces in the world, whether its the Inca Trail in Peru, The Pyramids in Egypt, the Great Wall in China. As has been said above, it's hard to find a real pull to the Philippines.

If their was a real focus and energy put into encouraging and developing tourism, then the country has fantastic potential.

[gWaPito]

I don't totally agree with the "it's too far" excuse, because Australia is much further and remains very very popular.

If it wasn't for Marvie I wouldn't have gone back to the Philippines, nor lived there. The people are wonderful and there are some things worth seeing.

I've travelled the world extensively, well over a hundred countries visited. I thoroughly enjoy visiting Thailand, Malaysia, Bali, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, Macau, Korea but in the Philippines get easily tired.

There are some amazingplaces in the world, whether its the Inca Trail in Peru, The Pyramids in Egypt, the Great Wall in China. As has been said above, it's hard to find a real pull to the Philippines.

If their was a real focus and energy put into encouraging and developing tourism, then the country has fantastic potential.

Very nice if you got deep pockets and all the time in the world...either that or work for a shipping company

I wonder out of all those tourists going to Oz are actually visiting family...a great many I guess.

[grahamw48]

+ 1,000s of 'gap year' backpackers spending nowt.

[stevewool]

well i for one love it there , the people and the price of things i think are great

[stevewool]

but must admit, if emma was not in my life well would i have ever been to the phils i doubt it

[Englishman2010]

When I went to Australia - Heathrow to Singapore to Sydney with BA it took about 23 hours including a 4 hour transfer in Singapore. My first trip to Manila - Heathrow - Doha - Manila with Qatar Airways took about 28 hours e/w due to the 10+ hour transfers in Doha.

I appreciate that you can get to Manila in around 16-17 hours if you get good connections, but in the main it's around 20 hours from here if you go via the Middle East. Western tourists don't mind the extra 4 hours to get to Oz because when they get there they know there will be something to do - great infrastructure, lots of touristy things, and a great number of Brits have rellies over there.

A tourist with no connections to the Phil's wouldn't bother with it, they'd either stay on the other side of the SC Sea in Indochina, or go to Borneo, Indonesia (Bali/Lombok/Java) or head over to Oz with a decent stopover in SG/KL or HK

[Arthur Little]

I wonder out of all those "tourists" going to Oz are actually visiting family ...a great many I guess.

... I'd say it IS, without doubt, by far the MAIN reason!