Why Philippines is not a favourite tourist destination ?

[gWaPito]

You and me both, Steve.

Although like you suggest, its a wonderful place warts and all.

Also agree about backpackers... They are not known to push the boat out.

[andy222]

I agree with what Maria B has said. There are dirty places in the uk. And has for street vendors. We dont have beggers here do we?. I think you live on another planet some of you. As for places of interest in ph. Almost everywhere you go there are places of interest if you do a bit of homework. Like Maria said a lot of people have get ph confused with Thailand. I have never been there so I wont comment on it.

[malditako]

mostly people in phils are more interested about america than countries in europe...thus not bother to promote themselves nor the country to europe countries....i remember in school never i heard about europe much even in our world history subject...its just that recently that new generation widen them knowledge about europe and its b'coz of employment and internet chatting....if most people in europe dont know where phils is its the same thing with most of the filipinos....as they always ask...where part of america is UK?....lol

[andy222]

I agree I have a few shout to me HEY JOE. It does get my back up being took for a yank but I just keep the peace.

[Englishman2010]

I agree I have a few shout to me HEY JOE. It does get my back up being took for a yank but I just keep the peace.

I've never been called Joe before, but whenever I go to Amsterdam, shady looking characters come up to me and whisper " Charlie" at me

[Terpe]

I've never been called Joe before, but whenever I go to Amsterdam, shady looking characters come up to me and whisper " Charlie" at me

[Englishman2010]

Charlie is what the US soldiers called the North Vietnamese army soldiers during the US-Vietnam war, I don't think it's a good idea for me to call any Vietnamese I meet there Charlie

Which reminds me of this great song from the mid 80's

http://youtu.be/ZFYxCIr-Byo

[gWaPito]

There was me thinking it mean't coke

Been called Joe many times...usual reply, what you doing with that gun in your hand...puzzled looks follow

[ConfusedMe]

Hehehe... Yea a lot of Pinoys are more Americanized so to speak... American TV, American accent (daw), even school / education was structured similar to that of US... Funny thought though...

mostly people in phils are more interested about america than countries in europe...thus not bother to promote themselves nor the country to europe countries....i remember in school never i heard about europe much even in our world history subject...its just that recently that new generation widen them knowledge about europe and its b'coz of employment and internet chatting....if most people in europe dont know where phils is its the same thing with most of the filipinos....as they always ask...where part of america is UK?....lol

[ConfusedMe]

So selfish of you huh? I encountered one couple in Boracay one time and they flew to Philippines instead of Indonesia coz weather in Indo is not that good that time. so funny they told me that they gonna keep this destination secret. They liked the place as it is without too many tourists flocking about

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.

[ConfusedMe]

Not as much difference with flights going to Sydney... There's always a stopover before they reach Oz... They just fly from one stopover ... skipped Pinas... and onward to their destination.

Philippines I guess needs to push more on advertising tourism and improving the airports (Talk about NAIA as number one worst airport )

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.

[ConfusedMe]

Same thing as my hubby told me. He never knew that Philippines exists until he met me. I remember his face when he first landed there and I brought him straight to meet my whole family, sight seeing, beaches and island hopping. He never stopped talking about the experience to his family and friends eventhough I finally moved to UK with him. That's the first whole month vacation where he still have pocket money left when he got home.

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.

[sweetnote143]

let our drunken idiots and their horrid badly behaved brats continue to create havoc elsewhere.

I dont mean to offend and I'm not pointing to anyone...This is just my general observation and based on news too....some foreigners act like they own the place, look down on us, and think they can buy us....when you are in a foreign land, somehow you have to observe the culture and views of the people in that country...as with the old saying, when you are in Rome, do as the Romans do...It's the same for us too, when we go to other countries, we do our best to accept the culture of the country.

As for great places here, I may sound selfish but I love the places as they are..virgin forest and islands....I tend to avoid crowded areas and tourist destinations. I rather be in the middle of a forest or in inhabited island to savor the beauty of nature....I guess for tourists who are looking for adventure, nature adventure, for backpackers, this country is a good choice. I've meet on the road a foreigner who came to the country with his surf board looking for the best place to surf, and he loved his stay. He just had his backpack and his surf board, lucky guy. But for general tourists, I wont recommend Philippines as a tourist destination. They all have the choice and I will steer them to Thailand, Malaysia, China, etc.

[RickyR]

I can see that some people are a bit offended by the negative comments that some of us have written about the Philippines and seem to have taken it very personally. But these posts aren't supposed to be taken as moans about the Philippines but just a few observations that answer the OPs question.
My wife is Filipino and my children half Filipino and there are many things I love about at the country and will return.

But answering the question; 'Why the Philippines is not a favourite tourist destination?' the answers above all explain that unless things change, it won't become a favourite tourist destination. It will remain a place for people wanting to go 'off the beaten track' for a bit of adventure and risk.

[andy222]

Like some have said the long distance flight puts a lot of people off. I have noticed a increase on airfares for next year. Or is it me?

[RickyR]

Airfares are definately creeping up, with the increases in taxes, fuel and inflation. The taxes are the worst problem.

[lastlid]

When I was in Borocay in June, it was still heaving with people on holiday, even though it was the start of the rainy / off peak season. But it wasnt heaving with folk from the UK or even from Oz but from what appeared to be Japan and Taiwan (not entirely sure - I figured that there were few chinese). They were by far the majority of the holidaymakers there during that week. So presumably they go to Boracay because it is nowhere near so far as it is for us in the UK and because phils / Boracay has a much higher / better advertised profile in their home country?

[grahamw48]

Mainly Koreans in Borocay.

[lastlid]

Not the document I was referring to earlier but interesting in relation to this thread.....

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/238224/p...-expo-in-china

[lastlid]

This was something like it.....there is obviously a drive on to boost tourism in the region.

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/tacloban/l...nt-plan-148818

[sweetnote143]

thanks for the link, lastlid a good move for the government....I love Samar and Leyte islands

[lastlid]

Yes. The caves and the waterfalls are appealing. But getting there hasn't been too easy in the past. I think they have big plans to open up the natural attributes of the island to tourism.

[malditako]

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

The very reason I like it.

so true...before my husband visit the phils first time he's got lots of question about the country..how do we get water, what the food like..what the houses like if theres a proper bath and shower, resto, bars and infrustracture...and so i've thought what does he thinks of phils a bloody remote island where people wears grass skirts lol...he was surprised when he finally came and i tour him around the city ( makati) and most people speaks and understand english.

[sweetnote143]

that's true.....roads are better now though.

[lastlid]

so true...before my husband visit the phils first time he's got lots of question about the country..how do we get water, what the food like..what the houses like if theres a proper bath and shower, resto, bars and infrustracture...and so i've thought what does he thinks of phils a bloody remote island where people wears grass skirts lol...he was surprised when he finally came and i tour him around the city ( makati) and most people speaks and understand english.

I like your post there gparry! And good to see you have learned how to swear in english.

[lastlid]

that's true.....roads are better now though.

The bridge connecting the two islands looks like a good move....

[sweetnote143]

The bridge connecting the two islands looks like a good move....

so true....the best effort made by Marcos while he was still in power......the San Juanico bridge has been there as far as I remember, I cant imagine Leyte and Samar without San Juanico Bridge

[lastlid]

Yes. An excellent example of the kind of investment the country needs.

[grahamw48]

so true...before my husband visit the phils first time he's got lots of question about the country..how do we get water, what the food like..what the houses like if theres a proper bath and shower, resto, bars and infrustracture...and so i've thought what does he thinks of phils a bloody remote island where people wears grass skirts lol...he was surprised when he finally came and i tour him around the city ( makati) and most people speaks and understand english.

My first visit I was soooo disappointed there were no grass skirts.

[andy222]

They are extending the airport in boracay too to accomadate larger aircraft.