WITH the Philippines becoming one of the most popular tourist draws in Asia, Ambassador Jan Top Christensen of Denmark is optimistic that more than 18,000 Danish tourists will visit the country this year, which will surpass numbers from 2017.
“I expect that more will be coming because the Philippines is [heavily] featured in international tourism magazines as the ‘hottest place’ to visit now,” Christensen told reporters in a recent interview.
“The word is spreading, and more are coming,” he added.
Based on statistics from the Department of Tourism for international arrivals in 2017, at least 18,445 Danish nationals went to the country—a 2.19-percent increase based on figures from the preceding year.
Given the growth, the Danish diplomat noted it is now important for the Philippines to “broaden” its scope of attractions aside from beaches and diving.
“You have many other things to offer. I think with that, you will see a constant growth [on the number] of tourists from Denmark to the Philippines,” he commented.
“The Danish have been going to Thailand for decades, so they want [to see something] else, and they get [just that] in the Philippines,” Christensen added.
With the “Build, Build, Build” program of the administration, more airports, railways and better roads are seen constructed until 2022. The envoy said this equates to the country also preparing the basics for more foreign tourists in the Philippines.
“With this government, you’re going to improve the infrastructure a lot with new airports, better roads [and] more hotels that can house the tourists. You’re building the basic conditions for more tourists [to come to] this country.”
Asked about the issue of Boracay Island undergoing a massive rehabilitation and affecting the country’s image as a prime tourist destination in Asia, the European ambassador claimed that the government’s move was appropriate.
“I think it is an important signal. The Philippine government is doing the right thing,” he explained, and went further that if mass tourism is unmanaged, negative returns are bound to happen.
“I can’t help it when I see criticisms on Boracay, El Nido and all other places. This is what happened in my hometown in Denmark when I was a kid,” he revealed.
“I recall I was swimming around in a sea where it was polluted, and we realized it’s bad for people living there; it’s not good for tourism. So we took steps and systematized the waste management.”
Christensen believes the move on Boracay will serve as a “major call” that waste management should be taken seriously.
“If tourists come here and see garbage all over, [like] sewage in the sea, they will stay away for sure,” he pointed out. “But the good news is that it’s [still] possible to do something.”