President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. instructed the Department of Tourism (DOT) to identify the non-operating tourism zones of the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA).
During his meeting with the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) Tourism Sector Group last Thursday, Marcos said he wants an inventory of the said areas, which are becoming a burden for TIEZA.
By addressing the issues concerning the said zones, Marcos hopes to boost the tourism sector.
The TIEZA is a government-owned and controlled corporation (GOCC) attached to the DOT, which oversees the development, promotion and supervision of tourism projects in the country.
The PSAC representatives discussed how to improve the efficiency of TIEZA by reviewing, simplifying, and standardizing the privatization or bidding process; leveraging properties to undertake more tourism infrastructure projects; and establishing and issuing a long-term Strategic Tourism Infrastructure/Investment Master plan.
It also proposed increasing the TIEZA’s travel tax allocation so it can make more tourism-related investments to help increase the country’s tourist arrivals, which already reached 2.6 million last year.
Under the Tourism Act of 2009, 50 percent of travel tax goes to TIEZA, while 40 percent is allocated to Higher Education Development Fund, which is used by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) for tourism-related educational programs and courses.
The remaining 10 percent goes to the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).
DOT, however, noted that increasing the TIEZA allocation beyond 50 percent must go through legislation to be implemented.
The PSAC also gave recommendations to improve Manila’s airport operations, which include providing concise and clear transport options for passengers leaving the airports, and designating a large dispatch booth with uniformed dispatchers stationed in designated areas for pickups.
Also part of its proposal is the improving taxi information on the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) website, providing more modes of payment for airport taxis, launching inter-terminal shuttle services, designating a parking area for all rent-a-car companies, and implementing international standard airport signages for tourists to easily determine where to get taxis, car rentals, buses, or terminal transfer shuttles.
PSAC, which is composed of business leaders and industry experts who provide technical advice to the President in achieving the government’s economic objectives.