4.
THE PHILIPPINE
TOURISM MASTER PLAN
1991-2010
SCOPE FOR EXPANSION
1. Inability to move large volumes of tourists to other parts of the
Philippines outside the NCR;
2. Lack of trained human resources at the required standard and
quantity;
3. Institutional overlap and human resources shortages in the tourism
planning, development, financing, and management area;
4. Strong competition for public and private sector finance;
5. Land use planning and development policies that make it difficult to
readily develop large resort estates;
6. Unpredictable events such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, regional
conflicts, internal political disputes and insurgency.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
1. Optimize the contribution of tourism to economic growth at the
national and local levels;
2. Enhance and contribute to social cohesion and cultural preservation at
a local level;
3. Develop tourism on an environmentally sustainable basis; and
4. Develop DIVERSITY of destinations, attractions and markets to
minimize exposure to major internal and external threats to tourism
activity.
STRATEGIES
1. Adopt a cluster development approach based on the establishment of
three (3) main international gateways and associated satellite
destinations;
2. Adopt a niche/mass market approach based on diverse mix of special
interest, vacation, resort, convention, exhibition, touring and incentive
travel products; and
3. Work towards a balance of development between foreign and
domestic tourism.
TMP POLICIES
1. Luzon
Primary Gateway
Manila
Secondary Gateways
Laoag, Ilocos Norte
Subic, Zambales
Clark, Angeles City
Market Positioning
Multi-faceted destination
2. Visayas
Primary Gateway
Cebu
Secondary Gateways
Iloilo
Katibo, Aklan
Panglao, Bohol
Dumaguete
Bacolod
Market Positioning
Resort and cultural destination
3. Mindanao
Primary Gateway
Davao City
Zamboanga City
Secondary Gateways
Cagayan De Oro
Dipolog City
Gen. Santos City
Market Positioning
Exotic Wilderness destination
ACCOMODATION DEVELOPMENT POLICIES
1. Provision of incentives to encourage upgrading and development of
accommodation outside the NCR within the recommended satellite
destinations;
2. Create major resort estates in the Visayas and Mindanao clusters as
well as the northern part of Luzon cluster; and
3. Provision of transportation infrastructure and services with the
development of proposed resort estates
AIR TRANPORTATION POLICIES
1. Adopt a more flexible approach to approving inbound air inclusive
charters and provision of scheduled air services on the part of other
carriers;
2. Designate other domestic and international carriers to service
secondary airports in the Philippines;
3. Expand domestic and international terminal facilities at the main
gateways to handle growth; and
4. De-regulate the economics of domestic air operation and introduce
greater competition on all domestic routes.
SEA AND LAND (ROAD AND RAIL) TRANPORTATION POLICIES
1. Upgrade and develop road connections between air and sea ports and
centers of tourism activity;
2. Develop inter-island cruising activities for foreign markets and
improve the quality of domestic ferry services;
3. Upgrade rail systems.
DOMESTIC MARKETING POLICIES
1. Formulate and implement a major domestic marketing program to
include market segmentation research, packaging a range of “Special
offers”, mounting a major promotional campaign
2. Strengthen existing programs designed to promote domestic tourism
(Pasyal/Lakbay Aral, Fly Now Pay Later)
FOREIGN MARKETING POLICIES
1. Overcome loss of confidence on the safety and security of the
Philippines in key markets through: showing positive and wholesome
side of tourism, promoting tourism’s “Good value”, providing “Special
offers”, Repositioning and repackaging existing destinations.
2. Market the Philippines in primary markets through: projecting the
Philippines as a major and revived destination, establishing new
brand identities (“wow factor”), and marketing newly developed
resort areas.
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT POLICIES
1. Focus on one or two attractions in each gateway location;
2. Create at least one “must-see” attraction close to each
cluster/gateway;
3. Improve access to, and information on, existing tourism products;
4. Improve standards of existing tour products and programs;
5. Develop additional day visitor activities at destination areas;
6. Improve reliability of domestic transportation services; and
7. Create new resort, special interests and tour products based on the
unique competitive features of the Philippines (“only in the Phils.”)
MAPOWER TRAINING POLICIES
1. Establish a Tourism Industry Training Board;
2. Establish regional training centers in Metro Manila, Baguio, Cebu and
Davao;
3. Establish an internationally acceptable standard setting and
certification program; and
4. Establish a faculty/trainor development program.
DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES
1. Suitability study based on location, land use, social values,
landscape and the environment;
2. Assessment of the capacity and density standards;
3. Site planning standards related to earthworks, roads, parking,
construction works and landscape protection;
4. Housing standards based on style, building heights, setbacks and
materials; and
5. Utility standards for solid waste disposal, sewage treatment power,
water, drainage, fire and communications.
TMP Programs
a.) Transportation and Infrastructure Program
Domestic Air Services
Deregulate the domestic air transportation sector
Simplify the granting of operating franchise
Develop a centralized computer booking, reservation
and ticketing system
Increase utilization, capacity and frequency of
services
International Air Services
Privatize the Philippine Airlines
Develop consensus building for the adoption of more
flexible and competitive approach to air transport
operation
Establish a second Philippine carrier
Include the DoT in the negotiating panels for routes
Secure a seat in the CAB as Vice-Chairperson
Sea Transportation
Deregulate the Shipping Industry
Provide incentives to upgrade existing facilities
Improve navigational aids
Road Transportation
Establish minimum standards of service and facility
based on industry self-regulation
Provide incentives to upgrade and purchase the most
modern equipment available
Infrastructure
Upgrade existing and recommended international
gateway airports at Manila, Cebu, Davao and
Zamboanga as well as alternate gateway airports in
the Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao development
clusters.
Improve strategic road access in and around the
main gateway centers of Luzon, Visayas and
Mindanao as well as the priority development areas.
Provide purpose-built passenger terminals and cruise
terminals between main gateways and key island
tourist destinations.
b.) Marketing and Development Program
Develop Marketing Programs
Domestic Market
Foreign Market
Undertake Product development
Product Enhancement
Product diversification
Product-Market matching
c.) Human Resources Training Program
Establish the policy framework
Develop Training Programs
Trainers
Trainees
Develop Training Standards and certification
Establish regional training centers
d.) Other Programs
Prepare environmental protection and management
programs
Implement socio-cultural impact assessment studies
Define projects/programs with high economic linkages
Handicraft improvement
Local Competitions
Support to Local Businesses
Coordinate and implement land and land use programs
Establish development standards and guidelines
Establish International Affiliations
World Tourism Organization
East Asian Travel Association
Reference: https://www.slideshare.net/iHNZL/philippine-tourism-master-
plan
