Origin of Tourism in the Philippines

Learning Objectives:
At the end of this topic, students will be able to:
1. Explain the start of tourism in the country.
2. Know the different individuals and its contribution to the growth of tourism and
hospitality in the country.

Origin of Tourism in the Philippines

Tourism and hospitality in the Philippines began when the original inhabitants of
the country roamed around in search of food.
• Tourism in the Philippines began when the original inhabitants of the country roamed
around in search for food.
• Inter-tribe travel occurred although mode of travel was crude.
• A more recognizable form of tourism appeared in the Philippines when the country was
discovered by Ferdinand Magellan and when galleons or wooden boats sailed between
Mexico and the Philippines during the galleon trade.
• The Philippines were claimed in the name of Spain in 1521 by Ferdinand Magellan, a
Portuguese explorer sailing for Spain, who name the islands after King Philip II of Spain.
They were then called Las Felipinas.
• During the American occupation of the Philippines, American were able to reach Manila
after two weeks on board the Pan American Airways air-clippers.
In the 1900’s steamship and the airline pioneers, the “China Clipper” and the “Manila
Clipper” brought some passengers to Manila via Hong Kong.
• The introduction of more comfortable and faster means of transportation gave the early
impetus for tourism in the Philippines.
• Travelers from the US, Chins, Japan and Europe were provided inland tours by
entrepreneurs with their unregistered private cars and coaches called “colorum”.
• Colorum means illegal tour handling and the illegal use of private vehicles for public
use. It was tolerated by the government authorities at that time since tourism at this time
was not yet developed.
• In 1952, the first tourism association in the Philippines was organized. This was the
Philippine Tourist and Travel Association (PTTA)
• The Philippine Tourist and Travel Association (PTTA) which was organized to put
together all existing travel establishments serving both domestic and international
travelers.
• The PTTA was funded by the government to promote the country’s tourism industry.
• Later, the government organized the Board of Travel and Tourist Industry (BTTI) to
regulate, supervise and control the tourism industry and to subsidize the PTTA as its
promotional arm.
• The Philippines has undergone economic, social and political crises starting in the
1960s up to the 70s which hindered the development and promotion of tourism.
• Accommodations were inadequate and airline industries were not given much incentive
to promote the Philippines as a visitor destination.
• Due to the turbulent conditions in the country, the tourist industry was denied the peace
and order, sanitation, financial support, and other important factors for tourism
development.
• It was only in 1972, after the declaration of martial law when tourism in the Philippines
prospered. This was due to favorable conditions such as safety of tourists, better services
and sanitation facilities, more financial support from the government and the vigorous
cooperation of the private sector. Thus, the Philippines became a “bargain destination” to
foreign visitors. • As several tour groups arrived in the Philippines, more
accommodations, food and beverage facilities and more airline frequencies were
established. A temporary “tourist boom” existed in the Philippines in the early 70s.
• The Philippine tourism industry flourished in the 1970s and early 1980s but declined in
the mid-1980s, with the average length of tourist stay falling from 12.6 days in earlier
years to 8.9 days in 1988.
• In 1987, tourism growth was slower in the Philippines than in other Southeast Asian
Countries.
• About 1.2 million tourists visited the Philippines in 1992, which was a record high in the
number of tourist visits since 1989.
• In 2000, the Philippines’ tourist arrivals total 2.2 million. In 2003, it total 2,838,000, a
growth of almost 29%, and was expected to grow as much as 3.4 million in 2007.
• In the first quarter of 2007, the tourist arrival in the Philippines grew as much as 20% in
same period last year.
• In 2011, the Department of Tourism recorded 3.9 million tourists visiting the country,
11.2 percent higher than the 3.5 million registered in 2010.
• In 2012, the Philippines recorded 4.27 million tourist arrivals, after the Department of
Tourism launched a widely publicized tourism marketing campaign titled “It’s More Fun In
The Philippines”.
• The tourism industry employed 3.8 million Filipinos, or 10.2 per cent of national
employment in 2011, according to data gathered by the National Statistical Coordination
Board.
• In a greater thrust by the Aquino administration to pump billions of dollars into the sector,
tourism is expected to employ 7.4 million people by 2016, or about 18.8 per cent of the
total workforce, contributing 8 per cent to 9 per cent to the nation’s GDP.
• Tourism and hospitality in the Philippines at present is the result of the continuous
development and promotion of tourism and hospitality from 1950 to the present.
 However, the growth in the tourism and hospitality industry is not very spectacular
compared to our neighboring countries in terms of tourist arrivals. Records show that the
Philippines is still in the tail-end of arrivals compared to other Asian destinations, such as
Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Korea, Taiwan, and Japan.
The National Tourism Organization (NTO) of the Philippines or the Department of
Tourism has embarked on several plans and programs to ensure the pleasant and the
hospitable entry, stay, and departure of tourists, as well as to assure a harmonious,
positive, and constructive development of the tourism and hospitality industry. Among
these are:
1. Increase visitor arrivals especially from nearby markets like Japan, Korea, Hong Kong,
and Taiwan and high spending markets like Germany.
2. Increase tourism and hospitality receipts through longer stays (now set at 11 days) and
higher spending per day (estimated at $ 110 per day), which can be accomplished by
more attractive destinations and tours, more shopping and dining, and getting not just the
budget traveler, but also the upscale markets; 3. Expand domestic tourism and hospitality
through more promotions, cheaper tour packages, and new facilities, especially for the
lower income segments;
4. Expand the capacity for tourism and hospitality by promoting more private sector
investments;
5. Improve the standards of service through the expansion of training programs for the
professionalization of the tourism and hospitality management and labor force;
6. Program major tourism and hospitality infrastructure projects;
7. Engage in major tourism and hospitality estate and resort development;
8. Classify facilities in tourist sites according to international standards;
9. Strictly enforce the tour facility standards;
10. Promote self-regulation within the different sectors of the tourism and hospitality
industry;
11. Complete the national tourism plan and a destination tourism plan;
12. Encourage consumer advertising in selected markets;
13. Work closely with the private sector in product development;
14. Develop and strengthen linkages with the local government, the private sector, and
the general public through tourism and hospitality councils.
Activity:
What are the problems of tourism in the Philippines?
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What is the Philippines best known for?
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Assessment:
1. What year that tourism in the Philippines flourished?
2. In what year that Philippines became the bargain destination to foreign visitors.
3. What are the functions of Board of Travel and Tourist Industry?
4. What is the first tourism association in the Philippines?
5. Who discovered Philippines?
6. What is the first name of Philippines
7. What is the tourism marketing campaign title of the Philippines?
8. The unregistered private cars and coaches are called?
9. What year that the Philippines have undergone economic, social and political crises
10. What is the reason why people travel before?