By Azer N. Parrocha
MANILA, May 7 (PNA) — Thanks to the prioritization of travel and tourism in the country, the Philippines ranked 74th out of 141 countries in the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index 2015.
The report, which is published every two years, showed that this result is eight ranks up since the Philippines landed 82nd place in 2013.
According to WEF, the report allows for cross-country comparison of the drivers of travel and tourism competitiveness, for benchmarking countries’ policy progress and for making investment decisions related to business and industry development among other things.
Philippines, being an emerging and developing country, was cited for it new trends driving demand for travel experiences as well as its increasing purchasing power.
WEF gave the example that a family trip is the second-highest priority for the booming middle classes, after buying a car.
Along with India, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, Philippines’ expenditures also reportedly grew by approximately 30 percent from 2013 to 2014.
The index also stressed that South-East Asia is where international arrivals have grown the most recently, thanks in part to being highly price competitive and rich in natural capital, and helped also by the rapid expansion of the middle class in surrounding areas.
It added that policymakers have understood the potential multiplier effect of offering a larger, cross-border set of itinerary options, including through cooperation on visa policy.
“ASEAN countries have already started to work on pilots to implement visa facilitation, aiming in the coming years for holders of a visa for any ASEAN country being able to travel freely in all 25 member states,” the report said.
“According to the UNWTO (United Nations World Tourism Organization), this could ultimately lead to an increase of up to 10 million visitors in ASEAN countries,” it added.
The report, however, noted that Southeast Asian countries still needed cooperation in common aspects despite remarkable progress.
“Efforts to bridge the significant divides in digital connectivity and infrastructure between the region’s most and least advanced countries—including through public-private partnerships—would play a significant role in complementing the development of a regional visa policy,” the report said.
Leading the WEF’s report was Spain, cited for its cultural resources, infrastructure and adaptation to digital consumption habits.
Meanwhile, Singapore, which ranked 11th, came up top in Southeast Asia. (PNA)