A travel agency has urged the Department of Tourism to add more spices in promoting tourist destinations in the Philippines in order to entice more foreign tourists to come to the country.
Travel agency owner Emil Hager of the Hager Group Philippines said on Wednesday that improvements should be made most especially in tourism products.
“I expect this (DOT) to be more creative in designing their tourist products, and in promoting it as well,” Hager said during the Habi at Kape press forum at Abreeza Mall.
He said that Davao City should also push further in making it the top tourist destination in the country.
Davao, he said, is a “paradise city” with a lot of tourist attractions such as beaches and mountains, which other cities in the country rarely have.
He also claimed that Mindanao is not well promoted to other countries, considering the island is currently placed under state of Martial Law since 2017.
“I have been into international travel markets on a regular basis, and when DOT presented, they never mention Mindanao,” Hager added, “Mindanao is the second largest island, why isn’t there a lack of push of making it a large tourist hub?”
Hager, who owns Hager Travel & Tours, said that the Martial Law had slighty affected their business, especially in marketing Mindanao to foreign investors.
He then suggested that aside from exerting efforts in promotion, the government should have a dialogue with different foreign consulates to easen travel advisories, that affects not only Mindanao, but the whole country as well.
