The Philippines should immediately consider the construction of a new international airport near the capital region if it wants to be a popular tourist destination in Asia.
A new and modern airport often creates a lasting impression on arriving tourists and arouses them ahead of their travel plan. Sadly, the Philippines has probably one of the worst airports in this side of the world, lagging behind its competitors in Asia.
Data on Philippine tourist arrivals reflect the sorry state of the country’s premier airport—the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. The Philippines, according to latest available figures from the United Nations World Tourism Organization, ranked 14th or second to last in 2015 in terms of arrivals. The Philippines registered foreign tourist arrivals of 5.36 million in 2015, ahead of 15th and last place Cambodia with 4.78 million. Philippine arrivals in 2016 hardly improved to 5.97-million tourists.
Other Southeast Asian countries have fared much better than the Philippines. Thailand drew 29.9-million foreign tourists, or just behind China in first place with 56.9 million. Hong Kong at third place lured 26.7 million, followed by Malaysia at 25.7 million. Indonesia was in eighth place with 10.4-million tourists, while Vietnam rounded the top 10 with 7.9 million.
Two private groups have urged the government of President Rodrigo Duterte to build a new international airport out of Metro Manila because the present facility could no longer offer additional runway spaces.
San Miguel offered to build the new airport in Bulacan in a revision from its 2014 proposal for a $10-billion airport on a reclaimed part of Manila Bay in Metro Manila. The conglomerate wanted to build an airport with at least four runways, covering 2,000 hectares in Bulacan towns near Manila Bay.
A consortium led by by retail tycoon Henry Sy Sr. and the Tieng family separately proposed a new international airport in Sangley by reclaiming 2,500 hectares in Sangley Point, Cavite.
The government must act with urgency in approving the construction of a new airport. The Philippines is steadily losing out to its neighbors in Southeast Asia after neglecting airport development. By failing to draw enough foreign tourists, it also passed up the opportunity to directly create thousands of jobs.