Deputy Speaker Pimentel sees bleak year for PH tourism
Published Feb 23, 2020 12:00 am
By Ellson Quismorio
A House leader has given a bleak outlook on the local tourism industry mostly due to the effects of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak.
“Even if the virus is suppressed by the second quarter, we’re afraid the damage to our tourism sector has already been done,” Deputy Speaker and Surigao del Sur 2nd district Rep. Johnny Pimentel said on Sunday.
Surigao del Sur 2nd district Rep. Johnny Pimentel
(FACEBOOK / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN) According to him, the Philippines stands to lose up to 1.2 million Chinese visitors this year from COVID-19, which still poses a potent threat to the population. “We do not anticipate a quick rebound in Chinese visitor arrivals, assuming two-way air travel between China and the Philippines is eventually restored,” Pimentel said. “China might thereafter temporarily discourage its middle-class families from venturing overseas on tour groups and flight/hotel vacation packages,” added the Mindanaoan lawmaker. The COVID-19 acute respiratory disease, originated from Wuhan City, Hubei province in mainland China. Although the virus has since spread to dozens of countries, China remains the hardest hit in terms of infections and fatalities. “Beijing might instead encourage families to spend their money in the mainland to enable China’s economy to recover right away,” Pimentel noted. The Deputy Speaker urged the Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to draw up an emergency skills retooling and jobs plan for thousands of workers facing retrenchment as airlines, tour operators, hotels, and resorts struggle to reduce their capacities. He reckoned that the Social Security System (SSS) should also get ready to dole out up to P20,000 in unemployment insurance to every worker involuntarily separated. “We have to put together a plan to help these displaced workers transition to other jobs,” Pimentel said. By the numbers Just like in Thailand, the average Chinese tourist in the Philippines on a packaged tour spends between $1,000 to $1,200 for a week-long stay, creating a huge demand for local goods and services, especially in the provinces. A total of 1,743,309 vacationers from China arrived in the Philippines in 2019, up 38.58 percent from 1,257,962 in 2018, according to the DOT. “The number of Chinese holidaymakers this year could plunge to as low as 500,000, possibly even less, depending on how long the virus lingers,” Pimentel said. The last time the Philippines received less than 500,000 Chinese visitors was five years ago, during the time of the previous administration. The number has steadily grown since, as bilateral ties between the two countries improved under President Duterte. The Philippines received 394,951 Chinese visitors in 2015; 675,663 in 2016; and 968,447 in 2017. The DOT earlier said that apart from the projected huge drop in Chinese visitors, it also expects a general decline of at least 10 percent in all other foreigners arriving in the Philippines this year as a result of the COVID-19 situation. Aside from China, the Philippines’ top suppliers of foreign visitors in 2019 were Korea (1,989,322), the United States (1,064,440), Japan (682,788), and Taiwan (327,273).
Surigao del Sur 2nd district Rep. Johnny Pimentel(FACEBOOK / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN) According to him, the Philippines stands to lose up to 1.2 million Chinese visitors this year from COVID-19, which still poses a potent threat to the population. “We do not anticipate a quick rebound in Chinese visitor arrivals, assuming two-way air travel between China and the Philippines is eventually restored,” Pimentel said. “China might thereafter temporarily discourage its middle-class families from venturing overseas on tour groups and flight/hotel vacation packages,” added the Mindanaoan lawmaker. The COVID-19 acute respiratory disease, originated from Wuhan City, Hubei province in mainland China. Although the virus has since spread to dozens of countries, China remains the hardest hit in terms of infections and fatalities. “Beijing might instead encourage families to spend their money in the mainland to enable China’s economy to recover right away,” Pimentel noted. The Deputy Speaker urged the Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to draw up an emergency skills retooling and jobs plan for thousands of workers facing retrenchment as airlines, tour operators, hotels, and resorts struggle to reduce their capacities. He reckoned that the Social Security System (SSS) should also get ready to dole out up to P20,000 in unemployment insurance to every worker involuntarily separated. “We have to put together a plan to help these displaced workers transition to other jobs,” Pimentel said. By the numbers Just like in Thailand, the average Chinese tourist in the Philippines on a packaged tour spends between $1,000 to $1,200 for a week-long stay, creating a huge demand for local goods and services, especially in the provinces. A total of 1,743,309 vacationers from China arrived in the Philippines in 2019, up 38.58 percent from 1,257,962 in 2018, according to the DOT. “The number of Chinese holidaymakers this year could plunge to as low as 500,000, possibly even less, depending on how long the virus lingers,” Pimentel said. The last time the Philippines received less than 500,000 Chinese visitors was five years ago, during the time of the previous administration. The number has steadily grown since, as bilateral ties between the two countries improved under President Duterte. The Philippines received 394,951 Chinese visitors in 2015; 675,663 in 2016; and 968,447 in 2017. The DOT earlier said that apart from the projected huge drop in Chinese visitors, it also expects a general decline of at least 10 percent in all other foreigners arriving in the Philippines this year as a result of the COVID-19 situation. Aside from China, the Philippines’ top suppliers of foreign visitors in 2019 were Korea (1,989,322), the United States (1,064,440), Japan (682,788), and Taiwan (327,273).