How visitor-friendly are we?

Published by the Visayan Daily Star Publications, Inc.

NINFA R. LEONARDIA Editor-in-Chief & President

CARLA P. GOMEZ Editor GUILLERMO TEJIDA III Desk Editor NANETTE L. GUADALQUIVER Busines Editor CEDELF P. TUPAS Sports Editor RENE GENOVE Bureau Chief, Dumaguete MAJA P. DELY Advertising Coordinator

CARLOS ANTONIO L. LEONARDIA Administrative Officer

When President Arroyo launched her plan to make Visayas the tourism hub of the country in her State of the Nation Address, many thought it was just a show of words and part of a grand visual media presentations which her critics dubbed as her "Enchanted Kingdom", devoid of earnestness.

But last week, Tourism Secretary Joseph Durano disclosed that the commitment of the national government by investing P29 billion in infrastructure projects, proof that the President is bent on keeping her word on making Visayas a major travel and tourism destination in the Asia-Pacific region. Specifically, Durano outlined the extent of the funding commitment, saying the projects include the setting up of international airports, improvement of road networks and upgrading of communication lines to make the visitors more comfortable while they visit central Philippines.

The statistics presented by Durano showed that among the different attractions of the country, Visayas attracted majority of the tourists - 58 percent of them coming to the attractions of the central part of the country - with the visitors preferring to visit the region's seven of the 10 major beach attractions in the Philippines and spending P82 billion last year

As we welcome the commitment of the national government in realizing that grand plan of making the Visayas as the tourism hub, we also realize that more than the infrastructure and the roads, we also need a re-orientation of the people of the region on their outlook on the presence of tourists. If we are to remain or further enhance our position in the national tourism market, we must work together that our fellow Visayans, especially in this part of the country, will consider tourists and other visitors as our partners in growth and not as potential victims of fare overcharging, pickpockets and unscrupulous individuals - and there are many of them - who are out to make quick and fast bucks out of unsuspecting visitors.

Visayans are known for their gentleness and hospitality, traits that often strike visitors as the attractions that appeal to them more than the fine beaches, the challenging mountains and the historic places but we are also aware that in some corner lurks the ugly head that wants to take advantage of visitors --- slurring the image that has made the region popular among visitors who come for rest and recreational purposes.

More than the infrastructure and support facilities, Visayans must be one in making our islands more visitor-friendly and formulating and adopting more creative tourism approaches, apparently the area in our travel and tourism program that needs a greater shot in the arm.*