HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRIPE-VINE: OUR NEW ABNORMAL
In this column last Sunday, I tried to place our tourism efforts within a regional ASEAN context. This was not to belittle what gains we had made throughout 2023; but in the hope that by studying how other ASEAN nations are faring, we might formulate even better action plans for this year. For I’ve often said that the travel experience, getting in and out of your travel destination, is so vital when travelers reflect on the overall experience.
For example, if I’m a seasoned traveler, ready to spend quality money on a holiday that should promise relaxation, wonderful sights, and once in a lifetime encounters, I could say the beaches in the Philippines were beyond beautiful, the accommodations a winner, and the people a pleasure to interact with – but the airport was a nightmare. And would that influence me as I make travel plans the following year, and do I recommend the destination to friends?
The last time I was abroad was early December 2023, to Bangkok. And I have to be honest, when we arrived and entered the Suvarnabhumi Passport Control area, I was envious of the snaking lines that occupied the Foreign Passport queues. Here was visual micro-evidence of just how many visitors Bangkok had enticed back to their country (over 25 million by end-November). Plus to be fair, the processing was done quickly, when you consider the sheer number of arrivals.
On our return flight to Manila from Bangkok, the chink in the armor of the Bangkok travel experience became evident. It took Issa and myself over an hour and half to clear Immigration. You could see the airport personnel talking in an agitated manner, trying to find some solution; but a bottleneck had suddenly reared its ugly head, and there wasn’t much they could do. And I thought to myself, if we can tighten up our own air terminal logistics, here’s one soft spot in Bangkok’s “armor” we could take advantage of.
But guess what we ended up facing when we arrived in Manila that evening? If Bangkok was a long delay but orderly, arriving in Manila and getting past our Immigration was a virtual storm. Lines were unruly, and there was a constant jumping of queues, ironically encouraged by the Immigration officers themselves. I quietly watched… and seethed. Frustrated, as could see that opportunity to do something more efficiently than they do in Thailand going up in smoke.
A photo I took of the line in the priority lane showed the people there didn’t look elderly, or disabled. Several of the women were not pregnant, and so many children in the queue did not qualify as infants. So what gives? The Immigration official attending to the line kept calling grown children, who were in the regular lanes, to enter the priority lane.
So, it made me wonder if these officials even knew what the real policy was. Was the signage something obsolete and serving no purpose? Did the officials know something that the signage wasn’t saying or explaining? It’s like how previously I would see signs clearly stating that people in wheelchairs or with disability should only be accompanied by one person; but they’d bring whole families with them, clogging up the lane, and nothing would be said or corrected.
I qualify as a senior, but I didn’t join that lane as there were as many people occupying the priority lane as there were in the regular ones. “Priority” was like some bad joke being inflicted on those who truly qualified to join that lane. And it sends a pathetic signal to the foreigners who arrive, see the sign, and witness the contradictions in how it’s being enforced. I can only hope this gets solved very soon.
What’s very evident is how it can’t be a Department of Tourism (DOT) one-man show in improving tourism. It really takes coordination and a multi-pronged, multi-agency effort – transportation, environment and natural resources, local government, and so on, all involved. With a game plan that’s clearly mapped out, covers the various angles, and is executed in a sustained fashion.
I’ve been around long enough to observe how so often there’s something good that’s planned and launched; but the follow through and maintaining of standards and direction isn’t what it’s supposed to be. Whatever may be said, it can’t be denied that we’re off to a strong start in reviving our post-health crisis tourism. Some may claim that still more could have been done; but the numerous awards we garnered in 2023 as a tourist destination point to the effective promoting that was done by our Department of Tourism and the Tourism Promotions Board. How we now parlay and leverage those accolades into an influx of visitors in 2024 is the challenge.
Not to mention how to make those droves of arrivals have a great experience from the moment they disembark, to their exit return flight. It’s the word of mouth and they’re recommending a visit to our country that “oils the wheels” of our tourism efforts – no matter where in the world they’re coming from. Let’s all be part of the solution, and turnaround!