Manila Hotel venue of RP tourism/transport summit

At least 200 government and business leaders from the local tourism

and transport sectors will hold their first-ever summit on June 22-23 to

map out their strategies in the increasingly growing global competition

in the 21st century.

Slated at the Manila Hotel, this Philippine Tourism and Transportation Summit

will extensively discuss and seek solutions to the country's tourism

infrastructure backlog and generate multi-sectoral bases for sound government

po;icy decisions according to a briefing paper from the Department of Tourism

(DOT).

"This (summit) is in response to President Joseph Estrada's directive to spur

the development of the tourism sector, and the DOT is tasked to take the lead

in organizing the summit to examine the prevailing constraints and issues

affecting the travel and tourism sector," said DOT Secretary Gemma

Cruz-Araneta.

Supporting the DOT in this undertaking are the Dept. of Transportation and

Communications (DOTC), Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA) and the Office of

the President.

The summit organizing committee is headed by Secretary Araneta as

chairperson, DOTC Secretary Vicente Rivera Jr. as cochairman, DOT

undersecretary Orestes R. Ricaforte as vice chairman, and DOTC

undersecretary Willie Evangelista as co-chairman.

Among the prominent speakers in the summit is Joop Ave, special adviser to

Indonesian President Baharuddin Jusuf Habibie, who will share Indonesia's

experience in developing air transportation to boost tourism.

Specific topics to be discussed include the "Role of Air Transportation in

Tourism Development" by Dr. Victor S. Limlingan, a professor at the Asian

Institute of Management; the "Role of Air Transport in Developing Tourist

Destinations" by Rafael M. Zosa, general manager of Trans Pacific Air Service

Corporation; "Prospects for the Philippine Carriers" by Lance Y. Gokongwei,

president and chief executive officer of Cebu Pacific Airlines.

"Land-based Transport System for Travel and Tourism" by Tom Martinson a

city and economic development consultant; "Making 'President Estrada's

Tourism Highway' a Reality" by Elizabeth F. Nelle, DOT director for product

research and development; "The Motor Coach System and Tourism" by

Tonette Guligado, president of the Philippine Association of Tourism Transport

Operators.

The summit is sponsored by the PTA, Duty Free Philippines, and the

Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation.