The two-day National Dialogue on Enhancing Philippine Tourism Competitiveness concluded recently with the stakeholders expressing optimism that the New Tourism Law (RA 9593) signed last May 2009 will bring Philippine tourism to the level of international competition.

Funded by the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ), it was organized by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) through its Tourism Committee in cooperation with the Department of Tourism (DoT), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the National Competitiveness Council (NCC) as a culmination to the series of DoT-sponsored public consultations relative to the crafting of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of RA 9593 or the National Tourism Act.

The Dialogue brought together various public and private stakeholders in the tourism sector as well as tourism experts from here and abroad, to develop consensus on key issues arising from the new tourism law and to propose suggestions for the IRR of said law

Representatives from the different travel and tourism sectors such as the Federation of Tourism Industries of the Philippines (FTIP); Hotels and Restaurants Association of the Philippines (HRAP); Philippine Tour Operators Association of the Philippines (PHILTOA); National Association of Independent Travel Agents (NAITAS) and various LGUs tackled opportunities under the new law which include enhancing quality through tourism standards and accreditation; investment and incentives; creation and operation of tourism enterprise zones; and destination management, marketing and financing options.

From these, the participants came up with recommendations for the IRR of the National Tourism Act, which is seen by the sector as an opportunity for the Philippines to become a global player in world tourism.

Tourism has been identified as a priority sector by the NCC since it holds great potential not only in attracting large investments in infrastructure, facilities, and foreign currency inflows, but likewise in income and employment generation. Despite the gains achieved by the Philippine tourism sector, the country's tourism competitiveness slipped 5 notches according to the World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Report, ranking the Philippines at 86 or among the lowest in Asia.

Commenting on the activity, PCCI Vice Chairman Samie Lim, who also chairs the chamber's Tourism Committee, extolled all the participants for their hard work, dedication and desire to bring Philippine tourism to new heights. "The greatest journeys begin with a single step, but by coming together as one, what we have done in this dialogue is a giant step for tourism."