Cebu City – Tourism officials are hopeful that positive changes will benefit the tourism industry of the country once the Tourism Act of 2009, which was signed by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo here in Cebu last May, will be fully implemented next year.

During the weekly 888 news forum at Marco Polo Plaza Hotel, Department of Tourism (DoT) Senior Adviser Phineas Alburo said there will be a lot of good changes once the act is fully implemented next year, including the expected surge in the number of tourists that will be coming in to the country.

Alburo said that as early as now the Department of Tourism is conducting information drives regarding the tourism law while waiting for the law’s full implementation early next year.

He added that since the new law contains a lot of provisions, new agencies and sectors will have to work hand in hand with the DosT in its implementation. Alburo said it is stipulated in the new law the new organizations under the DoT will be well funded.

He explained that the Tourism Act would help solve the problem of lack of organization collaboration and funding, which play key roles in boosting tourism in the country.

Alburo said that the cooperation of agencies and other organizations concerned would be strengthened since RA 9593 mandates a collected effort of different groups in various programs.

He added that for the Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Trade and Industry and Department of Transportation and Communications would be part of the Tourism and Promotions Board. Alburo explained that this would help them tap different concerns that affect tourism like prices of goods which is under the DTI. The TPB is in-charge of marketing and promotion of the country as a global tourism destination while focusing on different tourism products and services.

The Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Department of Interior and Local Government will also be part of the tourism infrastructure and enterprise zone authority. They are assigned to designate, regulate and supervise tourism enterprise zones and build up tourism projects in the country.

Duty Free Philippines is now known as Duty Free Philippines Corporation tasked to operate the duty- and tax-free merchandising system in the country.

For his part, National Association of Independent Travel Agencies (Naitas) Chairman Emeritus Robert Lim Joseph said the implementation of the Tourism Act of 2009 will surely benefit the country’s tourism industry as it further entices foreigners to come to the country because of new tourism-related practices.

One of the points he raised was that the Tourism Act of 2009 has institutionalized the culture of tourism, which means tourism-related seminars and trainings will be conducted at the grassroots level to ensure that those living in the barangays will become tourism-oriented.

“This Act will benefit everyone because tourism means jobs not only for travel agents or tourism stakeholders but also to handicraft makers, dive instructors, banca operators, and basically to everyone,” said Joseph.

As the Tourism Act of 2009 calls for better private sector participation, Joseph said the effects will surely be visible once the law is fully implemented. He also called for an audit of best practices and the cleaning up of people who want to get involved in its implementation.

“We have to weed out scalawags and foreign-funded tourism lobbyists are up with their own vested interests in mind,” said Joseph.