New cruise tourism strategy for the Philippines

Sunday, 29 Dec, 2015 0

The Philippines has outlined its plans to attract more cruise ship traffic after the Department of Tourism (DOT) endorsed the National Cruise Development Strategy for the Philippines under a USAid program.

The strategy is to provide strategic direction for the government and private sector, and aims to increase traffic to about 50,000 cruise passengers next year.

"We have always maintained that the Philippines has very strong potential to cruise tourism, considering that we are an archipelago with 7,100 islands and conceivably we can be a cruise destination, a self-contained cruise destination. Not only a port of call as what we are seeing currently," said tourism undersecretary Benito C. Bengzon, Jr.

He acknowledged Philippines’ ports need to be upgraded to attract a bigger share of the growing cruise tourism industry in Southeast Asia.

"We have to attack it on all fronts. "The first is to make the Philippines part of the strategic direction for cruise tourism by starting with the ports. It’s important for us to make sure that our ports comply with or satisfy the minimum requirements of the big ships. And I say big ships because the trend is towards larger ships. Now you have mega ships carrying 4,000 to 5,000 passengers that are ported in Southeast Asia," added Bengzon.

Port developments will be concentrated in Manila, Puerto Princesa, Subic, and Boracay, he said.

TravelMole Editorial Team

Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.

Why Avalon Waterways: Happiness flows on an Avalon river cruise. From Asia to South America and Europe to the Nile,...

Via Croatia is a concierge-type, full-service luxury DMC working exclusively with travel agents and luxury tour operators. With 20 years...

The Oregon Tourism Commission, dba Travel Oregon, works to enhance visitors’ experiences by providing information, resources and trip planning tools...

The superpower in bed banks for 30 years We are an award-winning and trusted accommodation wholesaler since 1991. We are...

If you’re thinking of cruising, there’s a very good chance you’re considering a Carnival cruise. Growing since our founding in...

Philippine Airlines (PR), also known as PAL, is the Filipino flag carrier. The company started their operations in February 1941,...

To say Sweden is fit for a fairy tale is not overstating it—the palaces dazzle, the boreal forests are brimming...

At Visit California, our mission is to develop and maintain marketing programs – in partnership with the state’s travel industry...

Wonderful Indonesia Indonesia is a country blessed with countless wonders. What makes this country unique is its diverse culture and...

Babble is a leading technology business that is reimagining how we do work. Founded in 2001, the company works with...

Arival advances the business of creating amazing in-destination experiences. We provide events, insights, and community for creators and sellers of...