Gov’t counts on cruise tours to spur tourism

The Department of Tourism has identified visits by international cruise ships as a major tool to lure more foreign tourists. "In addition to our chartered flights, cruise ship tours will help drive tourism growth by providing a competitive opportunity for affluent travelers from the US, Europe and Asia to visit the country, see our attractions, and recognize our economic potentials," the Tourism department said in a statement on Wednesday. "Cruise companies venturing to the Philippines for the first time boost our country’s confidence of now being in the [tourism] radar. This opens up more possibilities of other ships visiting our shores," it added. Among the cruise firms expected to bring guests to the country is Costa Cruises, Italy’s largest cruise group. The firm’s three ships, Costa Allegra, Costa Classica and Costa Romantica, will start regular visits to Manila, bringing in up to 22,000 tourists by November. Another cruise company, England’s Acromas Shipping Limited, also recently included the country in its Asian tour itinerary. Its M/S Spirit of Adventure recently brought over 300 British and French nationals to the country as part of a 16-day tour of Asia. The country had the longest itinerary in the tour, with the ship docking in Cebu, Boracay, Manila and La Union. Over 700 passengers of various nationalities also joined the first Asian tour of M/V Voyages of Discovery. Their local itinerary included, among others, Old Manila, Pagsanjan Falls, Tagaytay and Corregidor Island. Luxury passenger cruise ship M/S Amadea will also be calling on the port of Manila next month with 700 German passengers, as well as the Silversea Whisper with 384 guests, and the Regent Seven Seas Voyager with 600 guests. Verna C. Buensuceso, marketing head for the Tourism department’s Team Europe, noted that besides local attractions, the fact that Filipinos make up the bulk of these ships’ crew gives passengers a taste of Filipino hospitality while still on board. — BusinessWorld