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Philippines tourism on the rise, but tough competition from region: report
DestinationsThe Philippine needs to be more competitive when it comes to its tourism industry, according to the latest report from the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB). In the report titled “Boosting Our Economy and Sustaining Economic Growth Through Tourism,” NSCB Secretary-General Jose Ramon Albert said that based on the latest statistics of the Department of [...]
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Philippines wants to become the top diving destination in the world
DestinationsThe Department of Tourism (DOT) is planning to make diving as one of the major drivers in promoting the Philippines. “If you come to the Philippines and you don’t like what you see on land, just stick your head under water and you will be okay,” said Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr. during yesterday’s World [...]
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Can the Philippines challenge Macau with a new $1 billion casino-resort?
DestinationsThe Philippines will become one of the biggest gambling centers in the world, vying with Macau, Singapore and Las Vegas for Asia’s high rollers, officials of a $1 billion casino resort opening in Manila this weekend said Thursday. Studies project that the country’s gambling revenue of $1.9 billion will rise to $6 billion, which is [...]
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AirAsia buys 49 percent stake in Zest Air with eye on Philippine expansion
TransportAirAsia Bhd., Southeast Asia’s biggest budget carrier, bought a 49 percent stake in Philippine rival Zest Airways Inc., increasing its bet on a surge in travel in the country. The Sepang, Malaysia-based carrier’s Philippines venture AirAsia Inc. agreed to acquire the holding and all of Zest’s affiliate Asiawide Airways from Alfredo Yao, vice chairman of [...]
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Rural Philippine village mourns crocodile that drove tourism, ate people
DestinationsA southern Philippine town plans to hold funeral rites for the world’s largest saltwater crocodile and then preserve its remains in a museum to keep tourists coming and prevent their community from slipping back into obscurity, the town’s mayor said Monday. The 1-ton crocodile was declared dead Sunday a few hours after flipping over with [...]
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Philippines tourism can’t sell “fun” while gun crime remains pervasive
DestinationsEven by the usual standards in the Philippines, where crime is an accepted part of life, the brazen evening robbery of a jewelry store in one of the world’s largest malls shocked residents of Manila. Shoppers at the SM Megamall, which attracts up to a million people a day, were forced to duck for cover [...]
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The Asian gaming boom continues as Manila prepares for its share
DestinationsThe two most richly valued companies in the financial and consumer discretionary sectors in Southeast Asia share two things in common – both are controlled by Filipino tycoons and both are building casinos by the azure waters of Manila Bay. The lofty valuations of Bloomberry Resorts Corp and Belle Corp, measured by forecast earnings multiples, [...]
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Philippines uses its proximity to popular Asian cities to lure Brits in new tourism campaign
DestinationsThe Philippines Department of Tourism (PDOT) has launched a London taxi campaign, targeting those who opt for a Hong Kong or Singapore city break, with taglines such as ‘Paradise…only 2 ½ hours from Hong Kong. It’s More Fun in the Philippines’ and ‘Paradise…only 3 hours from Singapore. It’s More Fun in the Philippines’. With one [...]
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China’s new passport design is ticking off its neighbors, but India pushes back
DestinationsNEW DELHI (Reuters) – India is stamping its own map on visas it issues to holders of new Chinese passports that contain a map depicting disputed territory within China’s borders, the latest twist in tension in Asia over China’s territorial claims. China’s new microchip-equipped passports contain a map that marks its claims over disputed waters [...]
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Philippine Air customers without a credit card can still book online by paying at 7-Eleven
TransportIn the Philippines, passengers who book a ticket online for a domestic flight with Philippine Airlines (PAL), and its low-cost subsidiary AirPhil Express, can now pay for their ticket using cash at over 750 7-Eleven retail outlets nationwide which are open 24/7. The new scheme is designed for the large number of consumers in the [...]
