UNO Online Magazine Launch Party

To those who are going, see yah!!!

RP Tops Ticket Booking Sales in France

FRANCE — The Philippines is the no. 1 Asia Pacific destination in terms of sold airline tickets by all airlines, the Department of Tourism (DOT) office here reported.  RP recorded a 60% growth rate in terms of tickets issued by all airlines in almost all French travel agencies from January to February 2009, compared with figures in 2008.

Tourism Secretary Ace Durano said, “Our aggressive marketing campaign in several major travel trade fairs in Europe has allowed us to strengthen our established links with the French market.”

He added, “The DOT has continued to enhance our campaign for high-spending French travelers, promoting the country’s nature, adventure and culture.”

According to the Billing and Settlement Plan (BSP), figures representing the number of tickets issued by all airlines in 4,000 travel agencies in France, the Philippines is the strongest in terms of progression for Asian destinations for the January-February 2009 period.

Durano attributed the growth in ticket bookings to the country’s myriad of adventures and travel options.  “The country offers diving and other exciting activities from all kinds water sports to exhilarating expeditions such as hiking, trekking, spelunking, to name a few.  We also have bird-watching, which is fast gaining acclaim from eco-travelers.”

Tourism Undersecretary for Planning and Promotions Eduardo Jarque, Jr. said, “The French market has been familiar with our destinations because of key reasons, among which is the country’s active participation in travel trade fairs and our partnership with the TV program Koh Lanta, which featured Caramoan in Camarines Sur, and Palawan.”

The Tourism First Quarter Report showed that Camarines Sur and Palawan were the leading major destinations in terms of growth rate, at 43.23% and 93.29%, respectively. 

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Photo shows the DOT-France Tourism Office headed by Venus Tan, (front, 3^rd from left) and Verna Buensuceso (front, 4^th from left) in one of the sales missions conducted by the Department of Tourism.

The news from the Philippine Department of Tourism in France was an affirmation of Tourism Secretary Ace Durano’s optimism that tourist arrivals to the country will continue to increase despite the global crunch.

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Office of the Undersecretary for Planning & Promotions
Department of Tourism - Manila
Tel. No.  524-1694 / 400-1993

Importance of Vaccination Against Diarrhea & Rotavirus

A Forum on the impact of rotavirus and infectious diarrhea on families and caregivers was held last Thursday, April 23, 2009 from 10:30 am – 1:00 pm at First Place Restaurant in Hyatt Hotel, Manila. I was fortunate enough to have attended the event together with my brother Mark, his wife Shannon and my baby nephew Dominic Mark (or DM for short).

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) unveiled the findings of the latest study assessing the burden on Filipino caregivers in terms of quality of life and costs of having a child hospitalized for infectious diarrhea caused by rotavirus. 

Let me give you some background information about this killer virus among children. 

Rotavirus infection kills more than 600,000 people every year in the world today.  Death due to rotavirus infection is usually caused by dehydration due to severe vomiting and diarrhea. 

Acute diarrhea remains one of the five leading causes of sickness and deaths among children in the Philippines. Yet the burden of diarrhea falls not only on the infant but also on the caregiver, whose quality of life suffers in many ways.

 

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PHILIPPINE TOURISM: CREATING EMPLOYMENT WITH EXPANDED INVESTMENTS AND INCREASED TRAVEL MOVEMENT

Room capacity in key tourist destinations for the first quarter of 2009 expanded with the opening of new hotels and resorts that created additional employment in the midst of global economic downturn.

For the period January to March 2009, a total of 1,231 additional rooms were opened.  With an aggregate cost of P8.016 Billion, these new investments directly employed 1,286 people.

The opening of the P3.18 Billion Imperial Palace Water Park, Resort and Spa increased the room supply in Cebu by 4% to 14,792.  With 616 rooms, this new tourism project provided employment to 780 workers.

The San Remigio Beach Club in the northern part of Cebu has also opened its new facilities during the first quarter.  With P8.5 Million in investments, the resort has built a convention facility to capture the meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) of both international and domestic markets.

Shangri-la’s Boracay Resort and Spa, a high-end 217-room resort in Boracay Island, opened just in time for the influx of tourists on vacation and long holidays.  The resort has initially hired 488 workers to manage its various ranges of product offerings.

Seven locators investing in 28 cluster villas for a total cost of P 761.9 Million in the Amanpulo Tourism Enterprise Zone in Palawan also began their operation during the first quarter.

In Metro Manila, the opening of the Legend International’s Park, Bed and Breakfast Hotel, Eurotel Hotel Branch in Makati, and the expansion of Oakwood Serviced Residences increased the total room supply by 320.

By year-end, some 1,946 people will be directly employed nationwide once the additional 2,315 rooms become operational in the following destinations:

·       Metro Manila:  Manila Ocean Park (120 rooms), The Picasso Serviced Residences (136 rooms), Newport Marriott Hotel (342 rooms), and Maxims Hotel (178 rooms)

·       Cebu:  Radisson Hotel (400 rooms)

·       Boracay:  Crowne Regency (449), Phonex Hotel (130 rooms), Boracay Regency Lagoon (120 rooms), Seven Stones (100 rooms), Grand Water (100 rooms) 

 ·       Puerto Princesa:  Microtel Inns and Suites (50 rooms)

·       Tagaytay:  Summer Ridge (108 rooms)

·       Albay:  Discovery Bay Misibis (82 rooms)

With greater demand for tourism services, the Department of Tourism (DOT) endorsed five development projects worth P6.323 Billion in the first quarter of the year.  These initiatives will generate 6,340 employment opportunities for local residents in the said tourist areas.

A US$ 200-Million luxury spa and resort is also set to be developed by Banyan Tree in a 55-hectare property in Diwaran Island of Palawan.  This project will generate 8,000 direct and indirect jobs during the planning, construction and operational stages from 2009 to 2012.

In Subic, Harbor Yacht Services (HYS) Philippines will construct a restaurant and resort in a marina facility with an investment package of P 36.1 Million.
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