TRAVEL agents and tour operators in the Philippines have urged the government to focus on improving tourism infrastructure like international airports instead of harping on its branding campaign to attract more foreign and domestic tourists.

Aileen Clemente, executive director of the Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA), said the government’s branding campaign “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” is only part of the national tourism development plan to promote tourism.

The national plan includes core development areas, such as infrastructure development, marketing campaigns, addressing visa concerns for foreign tourists, Clemente said. More international airports and better connective flights going to tourism destinations are more needed to attract more tourists in the country.

“We’re looking for great customer experience when gauging the success of tourism sector,” Clemente said at the weekly Kapihan sa Diamond held on Monday.

She said the national tourism- development plan highlights the establishment of a tourism economic zone, which combines proper infrastructure and development in one specific area. So far, only Bulacan has been able to establish the tourism eco-zone.

Clemente said that although the Philippines was lagging behind its neighbors in Southeast Asia, such as Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, foreign tourists spend more when visiting the Philippines.

“The best gauge of success in tourism is the gross receipts [obtained] per tourist,” said Clemente. She said that since Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore are landlocked, it’s easier for tourists to travel across these countries. But their movements in these countries have huge negative environmental impact since the carbon footprint is also high.

She said the average spending of a domestic tourist in the Philippines per day is at P1,200 and $83.93 average daily spending for foreign tourists. A job is created in the country for every tourist coming in, she said.

Clemente also said the gross receipts from foreign tourists are high in the Philippines compared to other Southeast Asian countries because the average stay of foreign travelers is seven days to those from Japan and Asian countries and can extend up to 15 days for those coming from the US and Europe.

Top tourist destinations include Palawan, Boracay, Cebu, Davao and Bohol; top foreign tourists come from Japan, the United States and South Korea.

Clemente acknowledged that security concerns such as terrorist threats in Mindanao pose a “challenge” to the government but said they should not be treated as “problems” that hinder the promotion of tourism in the country.

She said the government should push for the continuity of tourism programs and more private-sector engagement in the infrastructure development as emphasized by the Tourism Act.