The country’s tourism sector will greatly benefit from private sector investments in the areas of infrastructure and public services, former Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said.
The senator, chair of the Senate Committee on Economic Affairs, said investments will enable the country to capture a larger market of foreign tourists that are all flocking to our Southeast Asian neighbors.
During his committee’s hearing on Senate Resolution No. 1121, or the inquiry into the economic impact of poor and inadequate infrastructure, frequent power outages, and insufficient water supply on the tourism sector, Zubiri noted that the country has the best beaches and other tourist spots in Southeast Asia.
“But we are losers when it comes to airports, power supply, public transport, and connectivity. So we are being left behind although the Philippines is more beautiful,” he said.
In 2023, Thailand had the best tourism economy in Southeast Asia, receiving 28 million foreign arrivals. This was followed by Malaysia with 20 million, Singapore with 13.6 million, Vietnam with 12.6 million, Indonesia with 11.7 million, and Cambodia 5.5 million.
The Philippines, meanwhile, welcomed only 5.4 million foreign visitors. “Tourism is the low-lying fruit that can help us increase our GDP growth once we get our acts together,” he pointed out. “The market is there, the natural resources are there. We just have to invest in our tourism infrastructure.”
