Department of Tourism – Region III RD Ronnie Tiotuico Excerpted from a handbook produced by CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL Adapt to the unexpected, Create the desirable, Avoid the undesirable. Workshop Outline About RA 9593 and Local Tourism Officers / Councils Visitor arrivals Visitor friendly test Questions about your place. What do you offer? What tourism / eco-tourism is all about What tourism planning is all about? Why is it important? How to become a successful destination (Video) Worksheet (SWOT) About branding NTDP / SCAD Plan The eight (8) phases of tourism planning What DOT can do for you National Policy of Tourism “The State declares tourism as an indispensable element of the national economy and an industry of national interest and importance, which must be harnessed as an engine of socio - economic growth and cultural affirmation to generate investment, foreign exchange and employment, and to continue to mold an enhanced sense of national pride for all Filipinos.” - Section 2, Tourism Act of 2009 (RA 9593) DOT Mandate “The Department of Tourism shall be the primary planning, programming, coordinating, implementing and regulatory government agency in the development and promotion of the tourism industry, both domestic and international, in coordination with attached agencies and other government instrumentalities. It shall instill in the Filipino the industry’s fundamental importance in the generation of employment, investment and foreign exchange.” Shared responsibilities between national and local governments “Coordination between National and Local Governments. – In view of the urgent need to develop a national strategy for tourism development while giving due regard to the principle of local autonomy, the Department of Tourism, the DILG and LGUs shall integrate and coordinate local and national plans for tourism development. “Local Tourism Development Planning. – LGUs, in consultation with stakeholders, are encouraged to utilize their powers under the Local Government Code of 1991, to ensure the preparation and implementation of a tourism development plan, the enforcement of standards and the collection of statistical data for tourism purposes. Functions of Local Tourism Officers - - - Preparation of local development plans Enforcement of tourism standards, laws, rules and regulations Reports on status of tourism plans and programs, tourist arrivals and inventory of tourism enterprises, employment, occupancy rates, inventory of tourism products and resources Investment opportunities / investment code Coordinate with DOT in development and promotion of local tourism Functions of Local Tourism Councils - Assist in the regulation and supervision of tourism-related establishments; Assist in the matter of licensing of tourism establishments to ensure safe an enjoyable stay of travelers; Enforce sanitary standards in public restrooms and tourist transport services; Initiate programs for tourism development Focus on environmental protection Classify and evaluate tourism destinations, sites and activities Guide LGUs in the development and implementation of tourism programs (source: RA 9593 and DILG MC 95-162) “DOT’s ultimate goal is to attract not only more tourists, but also better tourists that stay longer and spend more – generating more value for our country.” MORE tourists and MORE value for the Country… Visitor Arrivals by Country in Region III (2012-13) Country 2012 2013 Total 2.0 M 2.4 M USA 39,131 45,806 Korea 30,465 44,324 Japan 30,829 28,026 Singapore 8,156 34,329 China 7,088 151,034 Malaysia 7,811 21,173 Visitor Arrivals by Province in Region III 2013 Province 2013 Subic 1.8 M Clark 648,921 Pampanga 301,776 Bataan 99,550 Aurora 79,699 Bulacan 50,383 Nueva Ecija 19,910 Tarlac 19,504 Zambales 17,896 NOTE: The following 10 questions provide approximation to determine the level of friendliness of a certain tourist-oriented place. Provide 10 points for each favorable answer. A passing score is 60. Anything less may probably spell trouble. • Are the central access points to your community equipped with visitor information centers or do they provide instructions to easily accessible information? • Should a place be the primary access point, does it provide a full range of visitor information services (e.g. accommodation, tourist booth, visuals on-site, etc.)? • Do visitor facilitators – hotels, restaurants, jeepneys, calesas, cabs, buses receive any formal training and does a system exist to monitor the quality of visitor facilitator services? • Do hotels/lodges offer in-house television access channels for visitors with information on events, attractions, restaurants, and things to do? • Is a single organization or agency responsible for visitor business and are public funds provided for its activities? • Does that organization or agency have a marketing profile of visitors, and is this profile used for marketing activities? • Does the place’s hospitality industry accommodate foreign visitors’ needs (language, directions, special interests, do’s and don’ts)? • Does a range of accommodation exist to meet actual or expected visitor needs (by price range, size of facilities, access to site)? • Is access to sites, attractions and amenities (events, recreational, central location) easily available at reasonable cost and frequency? • Does the place welcome visitors and accommodate their needs (commercial hours, credit cards, language, signage, traffic, parking, public services)? Tourism is all about people who are travelling to and staying in places away from their home. Tourism can involve travel for business, for pleasure, to visit friends and relatives or for other reasons such as shopping or personal business. All overnight trips are considered tourism. And, anyone travelling out-of-town and 40 kilometers or more one way from home on a same-day trip is a tourist. There are exceptions – travel to work, for education, for military purposes, migration, and routine trips (those made at least once a month) are not tourists. Ecotourism Society “A purposeful travel to natural areas to understand the culture and natural history of the environment taking care not to alter the integrity of the ecosystem while producing economic opportunities that make the conservation of natural resources beneficial to local people.” Pacific Asia Travel Association “A form of tourism inspired primarily by the natural history of an area, including its indigenous cultures. The ecotourist visits relatively underdeveloped areas in the spirit of appreciation, participation and sensitivity. Non-consumptive use of wildlife and natural resources and contributes to the visited area through labor or financial means aimed at directly benefiting the conservation issues in general and to the specific needs of the locals.” • • • • • • • Natural area Undisturbed Wildlife (plants and animals) Cultural biodiversity Educational to tourists Conservation of nature Benefits to local community Rich natural attractions and conducive to travel Unique features and education to visitors Rich in flora and fauna, endemic/endangered species Not frequented by commercial tourists Native traditions of local people remain untouched Rich in biodiversity Beneficial to local host population In 1950, only 25 million international tourists worldwide. In 1997, nearly 25 times larger at 613 million international arrivals. In 2010, 935 million arrivals. Forecast: 2020 at 1.5 billion arrivals. Direct receipts stood at US$448 billion WTO predicts by 2010, arrivals will increase to 1.018 billion or 71% more tourists than in 1996. Direct receipts to rise to US$1.55 trillion by 2010 • Domestic generally outnumber intl tourists • More than 3 billion people travel around their own country every year • Economic activity generated by domestic and intl tourism in 1998 is predicted to be US$4.4 trillion, providing employment to 230 million people worldwide • Increasing wealth and leisure time • Decreasing travel cost • Airline industry expansion • Fewer travel restrictions • Countries pursuing tourism as means to create jobs, diversify their economies and earn foreign currency • Tourism as a source of private profit and economic development • Younger, better educated and better informed • Individualized trips, a wide range of activities and more “authentic” experiences • Nature such as beaches, coral reefs, rain forests and wildlife • Focus on unspoiled and less developed areas • Tourists now have higher sense of environmental and social responsibility • Survey in the Philippines showed that 70% of tourists were willing to spend US$50 more per trip to conserve the areas they visited • Tourists are choosing not to visit areas that have been degraded Let’s do some planning Issues and Concerns What are the important tourism development issues in your community? Would it be infrastructure? Would it be human resources development? Would it be attraction or tourism product improvement? Is there a need for more marketing and promotion activities? What should be done first? How much will it cost to spend on what element of tourism development? Basic Elements of Tourism Development Planning Tourist attractions / inventory and mapping (natural, cultural, historical) Tourist facilities and Services (Infrastructure, accommodation establishments, facility survey, supply data) Market / visitors (visitor survey, visitor profile, etc.) Critical points: Safety / security, transportation, good infrastructure and quality services ALL THESE CONSTITUTE YOUR PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT Basic Concepts in Marketing Positioning is how a destination is perceived (seen) by potential and actual visitors in terms of the experiences (and associated benefits) that it provides relative to competing destination. Brand is not only a trademark (logo or icon), but a main experience and image that reflects the destination’s positioning. In short, it is a PROMISE to potential tourists. The brand is represented in the form of an image logo. LET’S WATCH A VIDEO!http://video.travelzoom.si/tz2013_vilar_step_by_step_brand_assessment/ Workshop #1: What is your BRAND? A brand is a name and symbol or design that identifies and differentiates your destination or product. It is your promise to your customers and tells them what they can expect. Elements of a successful destination: Quality of experience with appeal Outstanding customer service Quality experience that is easy to plan and buy Offering good value Meeting and exceeding customer expectations Products and Amenities that meet contemporary standards Infrastructure and services How to become a successful tourist destination You need to be on the map (physical and mental) You need to inspire tourists to come and visit / return Initial assessment (criteria): Hard (important) Soft (critical) - to be safe / politically stable - to be known - to have good infra - to be perceived for something - to be accessible (transportation) - to be loved - to offer quality service - to offer a unique experience How do you assess your destination? • Developing a theme for product ID and development for tour operators or a community • Guide for future actions • Solve future problems • Predict future scenarios • Systematic or a logical sequence of • • • • steps An opportunity to evaluate alternatives Community-based and supports community economic development Iterative and dynamic Integrated and comprehensive Let’s do a little SWOT analysis Why are we underperforming? Access Destinations & Products Promotions Let’s do a little exercise on this one…. Workshop #2 : Strengths, Weaknesses, Threats and Opportunities Attractions & Activities Natural Areas Festivals and Events Specialty Shopping / Dining Destination Accommodation Other Experiences Amenities and Services Other – Infra, marketing, tourism industry assns, community resources Central Luzon Tourism Cluster Clark International Airport Tourism Development Areas: TDA 1: Subic – Clark – Tarlac Corridor TDA 2: Nueva Ecija TDA 2: Pampanga TDA 4: Bulacan TDA 5: Zambales TDA 6: Bataan TDA 7: Aurora Theme: Entertainment/amusement, sports, beach resort, events, MICE, ecotourism, wellness, medical and retirement tourism Destination and Product Development Mixed used resorts in Clark, Zambales, Subic Improvement to 16 heritage sites (Php 140 Million) Linking communities to tourism supply chain Development Impact 2010: 72,000 jobs 2016: 75,000 additional jobs Core Themes Aurora Surfing and Country Get Away Bataan Historic Place of Valor Bulacan Arts, Cultural and Historical Center Nueva Ecija Agri-Tourism and Nature Adventure Destination Pampanga Culinary Hotspot Subic-Clark Leisure, Sports, MICE Hub Tarlac Pilgrimage and Ecotourism Site Zambales Beach and Mountain Hideaway Overview: Steps in Planning Process Form a planning committee The Situation Analysis Who are your visitors? Who might be your future visitors Establish a Vision / Goals / Objectives Develop the Action Plan Implementation / Monitoring / Evaluation • • • • • • • • Phase I Mission Statement and Goal Setting Phase II Resource Inventory and Analysis Phase III Market Analysis Phase IV Product Market Matching/Theme/Concept Phase V Overall Development Plan Phase VI Tour Product Development Phase VII Market Strategy Phase VIII Implementation Strategy • • • • • • what is important and deeply cared about the opportunity to serve a need the values to be protected what business are you in overall purpose for community existence Mission means expectations/values; Goals means aims or purposes; Objectives means quantified targets; and strategies means types of action • Example: Mission (Be healthy); Goal (Lose Weight); Objective (Lose 10 lbs by Oct. 5); Strategy (Diet and exercise) Setting a Strategic GOAL and VISION/MISSION SETTING A GOAL? A GOAL NORMALLY STATES THE DESIRED IMPACT ONE WANTS TO ACHIEVE. “A FASTER GROWING MORE SUSTAINABLE AND INCLUSIVE PHILIPPINE TOURISM SECTOR ATTRACTING AROUND 10 MILLION INTERNATIONAL ARRIVALS BY 2016.” 51 SETTING A VISION/MISSION? IS A SHORT STATEMENT ABOUT WHAT WE WANT TO BECOME. “TO BECOME ONE OF THE MOST PREFERRED DESTINATIONS IN ASIA.” • Mission: To provide socially and environmentally responsible tourism at a profit • Goal: Implement sustainable economic development • Objectives: • • • • • Increase visitor spending Identify areas of unique value for conservation Attract more tourists Decrease leakages Expand the tourism season State you Mission: State your Goal: State your Objectives: All resources are inventoried on the ff: criteria: 1. attractiveness 2. ability to draw visitors 3. accessibility and availability of services 4. integrity 5. contribution to environmental and cultural protection. Ecotourism Products can be grouped according to: • • • • • • • • natural or environmental community heritage or historic cultural outdoor recreation tourism services special events information/interpretive services Product Location Type of Product Description There are two sources of market demand that can contribute to determining an ecotourism product. • primary research, including questionnaires and interviews with the travel trade; and • secondary or desk research including the analysis of written data or both the local markets as well as the international tourism markets. Primary research generates data, directly from the travel trade or consumers that is used to shape the ecotourism product. It is gathered by: • informal observation of the ecotourism market • surveys or interviews with members of the travel trade (wholesalers, tour operators and local suppliers such as hotels and resorts, guides, adventure tour operators, NGOs, etc.) • questionnaires distributed to visitors in your region/province/community that potentially represents the ecotourism market Secondary or desk research is provided by the literature and survey results that have been prepared by others. At the regional, provincial or community level, it may include: • visitor exit surveys • surveys of the adventure market since there is very little available data on the ecotourism market • adventure travel surveys in other provinces or regions • market research from consumer magazines that provide nature-based tourism • national/regional planning agencies, travel associations, city/municipal or provincial tourism offices Product/Resource Market Depending on your location, the competition may be in an adjacent province or region, or another ASEAN country. It is important to appreciate that similar ecotourism operators in an adjacent area may be a collaborator or contributor to your overall package. Name of Competitor? _______________ Its Product Component: _____________ Its Competitive Features and Special Appeal? _________________________ Market Origin? _____________________ Price Structure? ___________________ Marketing Approach? _______________ Note: This phase is very important and is essential to preparing a professional, marketable ecotourism product. This workshop provides an introduction to this process. Final product development requires additional training and understanding to be provided in a regional product development workshop. • Preparation of Daily Itinerary • Securing all services and suppliers • Establish Price Structure • Developing a partnership with tour operators and wholesalers Date: Time: Places to Visit/Activities: Special Events: Services/Facilities to be offered: Total Net Cost: Date and time Places to Visit Remarks Items Description Quantity Total It responds to the definition of tourism / eco-tourism It responds to the development strategy It meets Important tourism / eco-tourism criteria Suggested Components of a Marketing Budget: ADVERTISING e.g. brochures, newsletter, newspaper SALES e.g. trade shows, fam trips, exhibits and displays, AVPs, web MARKETING e.g. data analysis, surveys, questionnaires OTHER (social media, etc.) Project/Program Timetable In-charge Budget ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES There are variety of agencies, associations, organizations and companies responsible for the implementation of a Development Strategy. A matrix that outlines the specific responsibility assure response to the opportunity as well as Action. Let’s do the plan…. Objective Action Steps Who will lead the effort? / Who are your partners? What resources are needed? Where will they come from? Major Constraints and Issues Timetable Measurement / Review NTDP Action Plan for CL Identify and designate Tourism Enterprise Zones (for incentives) Attract more investments Enforce mandatory accreditation of tourism enterprises (primary and secondary), enforce tourism standards / rules and regulations Safeguard natural / cultural heritage sites Safeguard vulnerable groups (indigenous, children, women) PPP-based marketing strategy (new tourism brand, domestic tourism campaign, roadshows, etc.) Expansion of airport / route development Establishment of tourist information centers Formulate local tourism development / destination marketing / regulation Safety and security (TOP COP seminars) New tourism packages (attractive and competitive) Discover / develop new market competitive products Inventory of tourism assets / attractions / products (database) Tourism road projects (DOT and DPWH convergence) SCAD Tourism Roadmap 2011 – 2016 Strategic Directions Develop and market competitive destination products Tour packages / circuits Market strategy for the Corridor Develop sustainable destination infrastructure / increase supply of competitive facilities and services Promote development of new products Implement services infrastructure Implement tourism standards for primary and secondary establishments Enhance international and domestic connectivity Develop terminal projects in Clark / auxiliary infrastructure Develop cooperation programs (sisterhood) with domestic and international airports Develop or improve roads to create seamless movements Visa upon arrival and long-stay visa program Consider cruise tourism program Build and/or strengthen institutions Professionalize local tourism office Create coalition of tourism stakeholders for greater participation Work with DOT, DTI, DSWD, DILG re: integration of indigenous communities, unskilled, women, elderly, retirees in the tourism value chain Develop a program with DILG and DOJ-BI to create a secure and safe environment / prevent human trafficking Work with DENR for environmental programs Work with DA and DOT to identify areas geared toward agri-tourism Work with DTI and DOT to identify new areas for community-based projects (handicrafts, furnishings) Implement activities for skills capabilities, professional tourism training, human resource networking Develop research network among tourism schools and institutions Workshop # 9: Action Plan Action Steps Who? Partners Resources Needed Major Constraints Timetable Monitoring What DOT can do for you Manpower development program for industry personnel Capacity building for LGUs (effective customer service) Data gathering / visitor survey / visitor profile Preparation of local tourism development plan Preparation of local investment code (BOI) Classification / accreditation of tourism facilities Convergence program (DPWH / DILG / DSWD / DTI) Production of IEC collaterals / maps Web / online marketing (visitmyphilippines.com / Facebook) Assistance to festivals and special events Designation of tourism enterprise zones (TIEZA) My Contact Information: tourismregion3@gmail.com support@visitmyphilippines.com Website: www.visitmyphilippines.com Facebook.com/ronnie.tiotuico