Tourism department project ‘Comfort rooms should fit tourist spots’ package’

The tourism department’s “comfort room” project should be designed to fit the branding of a specific destination in the country.

This is what former Department of Tourism regional director Patria Aurora Roa said when asked about the project that new Tourism Secretary Ramon R. Jimenez Jr. is set to pilot at the Luneta Park this month.

Roa said that the project was a good initiative but the designs of the “comfort rooms” should follow the package that a specific destination would offer their tourists.

“Take for example in Carcar City, that’s a cultural destination visited by tourists because of the history, culture and heritage it offers. You cannot just set up a modern design restroom there. The total package will be best felt if you set up one with a cultural detailing in it,” Roa said.

In last week’s first visit in Cebu of the new Tourism Chief, Jimenez announced that they would be making the Luneta Park a “laboratory” for the different comfort room designs that they hope to duplicate in all other tourist destinations in the country like Cebu.

Discussed

The need for clean, presentable comfort room in tourist destinations has always been discussed among tourism players as something that the tourism department should seriously look into.

One of those who asked for these comfort rooms was Renato Magadia, Waterfront Philippines chairman, who said that these were basic issues that had to be addressed by everyone in the industry, and it would only require a minimal investment.

A local businessman has already invested in addressing the problem of restrooms by including it in his package to market his gasoline station as a stop-over for southbound tourists.

Businessman Rex G. Carampatan, franchisee of a Shell Station in Talisay City, southern Cebu, poured P2 million into renovating his gasoline station including a restroom that featured home accessories made by local manufacturers and a cafe, which featured locally made furniture.

Carampatan said it had always been the lament of most tour operators and he’d like to do his share to address that issue and help local tourism in Cebu.

Suggestion

Roa suggested that before the tourism department would start building the comfort rooms in the different destinations in the country, its representatives should visit these places and study the local situation so that they could have better inputs in coming up with the designs for that specific place.

“You have to study the local area, the different topographies and all so that you can have a better grasp as to the design and the right budget that will be needed to build it,” Roa said.

Roa said she would be happy to support the tourism department’s thrusts in whatever way she could especially for Central Visayas, where she was a former regional chief.

“I haven’t met him (Secretary Jimenez) personally but he come across as very pleasant, articulate, intelligent even more pleasant than his predecessor. I am for this comfort room project,” Roa said.

She said she was happy with the private and public sectors in the industry had finally come together under the leadership of Jimenez, who recognized the role of the private sector in the industry.

Roa also cited Jimenez’ humility when he reached out to former tourism secretary Joseph Ace Durano for advice.

“His gesture only shows that he is willing to learn deeper and that he is sincere. Hopefully he can do better. This will help boost tourism,” Roa said.

The “Comfort Room” project is one of Jimenez’ first efforts to offer better service and convenience for a total pleasant experience that the Philippines can offer to our tourists, both domestic and foreign.

Jimenez said that they hope to start the project within this month and do the testing early next year.

Infrastructure

The other infrastructure projects that tourism industry stakeholders have been asking from the government include wider roads, more efficient and upgraded airports.

Jimenez said the demand for more efficient and upgraded airports would soon be addressed as a result of the industry’s creating the demand for it.

Jimenez said this was the reason he raised the target from only 6 million tourists to 10 million by 2016, which would push other agencies to also elevate their performance.

“It only follows the same logic as when we have guests at home, we tell other members to do good to make our visitors comfortable and happy,” said Jimenez.

For 2012, Jimenez said that they have set the target to 4.2 million.

“We expect to register 3.8-million tourist arrivals this year which surpasses the target of only 3.6 million. South Korea remains the largest tourist group that visited the country followed by the US, Japan, China and Australia.”

As of August this year, Cebu already registered an 11.33 percent hike in tourist arrivals, with 1.3 million visitors since January this year according to Tourism regional director Rowena Montecillo.