Tourism has some aspects of showbiz, some international trade in commodities; it is part innocent fun, part a devastating modernizing force. Being all these things, simultaneously, it tends to induce partial analysis only.—Victor Turner
The bountiful vlogs and blogs on the Internet have triggered in me this interest in one of the most contentious bureaucracies in the country—tourism and all its related elements. There is another source of this interest and this is the issue about a new tourism platform. Dubbed “Bisita Be My Guest Program,” it is, some wags say, an acronym for BBM Guest Program.
What is it about tourism programs in the Philippines that always polarize the citizens? Remember the “It’s More Fun in the Philippines?” Not only was it criticized for emphasizing what was not fun in our neighborhood but that the slogan was inches away from the ethnocentrism seemingly organic in the cultural psyche of Filipinos. We are No. 1! We are the best in Asia!
A statement from the Forbes Magazine has been circulating for a while and it reports how the Philippines is part of a list of “rising stars in travel, countries with potential to become a major tourism destination. That is supposed to happen in the post-Covid world, in the age of recovery.
The report says we are underrated, a quality we share with Ethiopia, Iran, Myanmar, Georgia, Slovenia, and Tunisia. If this were a beauty pageant (appropriate trope anyway for a country that is crazy about contests in physical pulchritude), we are in a tough company. However, the report has great confidence in us when it states how our “massive archipelago” of more than 7,500 islands has something to offer to even the most “finicky of tourists”.
How will the BBM Guest Program work? Well, there will be raffle prizes to OFWs that can bring guests, foreign I like to assume, to the country. I do not know with you but there is an almost mendicant pallor in the complexion of that program. Is our country that difficult to sell?
If we go by the vlogs of tourists who, on their own, are here in our country, things are not that sour insofar as the world sees us. There is a sweetness albeit maudlin sometimes, in how we are seen by outsiders. Having followed American, Canadian, British and South Korean vloggers (there should be more representations), I am confident we do have a quirky, simple charm. There is a caveat though here and that is the element of the vlogger’s exposure to the country, its culture and traditions. Most of these vloggers that have developed a good appreciation of the Filipinos and the various locations they found themselves with their mobiles phones and cameras have stayed for at least a month in the country. Some of them have become returnees and their second or third trip has been spurred by their memories of enchanting places and the individuals who have made their stay or travel easier in the Philippines.
They talk of the beach they want to revisit or a town they were informed should be part of their itinerary, with the back story that their stay in some towns, cities or villages had given them such a heartwarming experience. But no talk—or remembrance—of a good hotel, an efficient airport, or a resort. If a resort is mentioned, it is because it is tied to the allure of the sea or the mystery of a lagoon.
This brings me to unsolicited advice, that research into the viability of tourism programs via the usual Threats/Opportunities/Weaknesses/Strengths (TOWS) or twist them to SWOT has been supplanted by the more exciting vlogs and blogs. They are more candid and, for researchers, we know that the secret for an optimum data gathering is when the respondents have dropped their guard down.
What are the immediate impressions? Upon arrival, the first thing they notice, despite the air conditioning in the airports (or maybe it was not sufficient enough), is how warm the climate is…and nice. That is important. What we generally think of as a deterrent, the climate seems welcoming to many tourists coming from colder climes.
In all of these vlogs, I am always anxious when the tourist takes a ride, and the tricycle or taxi driver does not have a clear amount for the visitor. The fees to places to be visited are complex. Do we examine the structures in so-called tourist spots? In Cape Engaño in Cagayan, for example, the 19th century lighthouse is decrepit. Fortunately (and this is not good), the tourist seems not to mind because the view is breathtaking.
Do we also consider the carrying capacity of the place? In El Nido, there is a procession of travelers following this small path to the lagoon.
There are more questions and they are valid. Tourism is about culture and culture is performative. How do we present ourselves to the world outside? To anthropologists of tourism, there are two important words to remember: cultural commoditization and cultural commercialism.
While tourism can generate the people’s awareness of their cultures and identities, tourism can also degrade the same people’s idea of their place. With the improvement of tourism, local heritage can have a rebirth and, at the same time a distortion. Claude Levi-Strauss in his book, Tristes Tropiques, although an old book, talked of how the “shrinking” of the world can generate a “monoculture.” The uniqueness of the country that we pride ourselves in having can disappear and be replaced by a country that produces and sells what is popular.
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Image credits: Jimbo Albano