The Tourism Congress of the Philippines (TCP), the Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA), Philippine Tour Operators Association (PHILTOA), and Hotel Sales and Marketing Association (HSMA) said in a joint statement “the saleability of the Philippines as a tourism destination vis-à-vis its competitors in the region will be greatly compromised by a closure”.
Philippines’ tourism stakeholders have slammed the government’s plan to shut down Boracay for at least one year to clean up the island’s worsening environmental condition.
“Yes to clean-up, no to closure,” was the industry’s battle cry after environment and natural resources Minister Roy A. Cimatu recommended a declaration of a “state of calamity” for Boracay island for six months, and closure for one year.
A state of calamity declaration allows government agencies to access funds to undertake urgent rehabilitation work.
Earlier, industry groups said closure of the island would harm the entire Philippine tourism industry with massive and long-lasting repercussions.
The Tourism Congress of the Philippines (TCP), the Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA), Philippine Tour Operators Association (PHILTOA), and Hotel Sales and Marketing Association (HSMA) said in a joint statement “the saleability of the Philippines as a tourism destination vis-à-vis its competitors in the region will be greatly compromised by a closure”.
The groups explained that about US$1 billion or 20% of total tourism receipts last year was generated by Boracay.
“The loss of this revenue contribution in the short-term may not be felt immediately but the recovery as Boracay tries to regain its place as a major destination will be an uphill climb. The recovery of business may take years to return to its present levels,” the groups said.
PHILTOA president Cesar Cruz, in a separate statement, said a closure would set back marketing efforts by three to four years. Tour operators are also bracing for booking cancellations during what is traditionally peak season for Philippine tourism.
The groups have called for a 60-day grace period for island businesses to undertake individual clean-ups and rehabilitation work, an assessment of remedies put in place by stakeholders prior to the end of the 60-day period, and a selective closure of businesses to ensure that only the violators would be closed.
The group said the timelines would put a closure at around June this year, when peak season is over.
Stakeholders have complained that even as the government claims a clean-up of Boracay had been long overdue, it had also given the green light for the development of two casino hotel projects on the island.
Macau casino firm Galaxy Entertainment Group said it had secured a provisional licence from Philippine gaming regulator PAGCOR for an integrated casino resort project in Boracay.
At the same time, a 1,001-room hotel project of Double Dragon Properties on the island will be pushing through.