SUMMER is here and it?s the perfect season to showcase the best of Philippine tourism. After that hullabaloo over the Department of Tourism?s tacky ?Pilipinas Kay Ganda? campaign, it?s also the perfect time for government to roll up its sleeves and get down to the more real and serious work of raising the number of tourist arrivals in the country.

The current tourism figures look daunting. While government trumpets the 3.52 million inbound visitors to the Philippines in 2010, surpassing the target of 3.3 million, it has yet to confront the more favorable statistics of its neighbors. In 2009, the Top Five Most Visited Countries in Southeast Asia included Malaysia (23.6 million visitors), Thailand (14.1 million), Singapore (9.7 million), Indonesia (6.5 million) and Vietnam (3.7 million).

It is disappointing to realize the comparatively low number of tourists to the Philippines, especially when the country has so much to offer. For Filipinos and foreigners alike, there is no doubt that the Philippines is ?so beautiful? with its breathtaking natural resources, diversity of indigenous cultures, and rich colonial heritage. Thus, the low standing of Philippine tourism reveals that the problem is not the destination itself. Aside from the negative perception, there are various factors that dissuade tourists from visiting the country. To address these, here?s a personal wish list to improve Philippine tourism:

1. Upgrade airports. While other countries in Asia are competing with bigger, grander, and state-of-the-art airports, the Philippines does not seem to see the point in improved airport facilities. In Manila airports, there are few toilets and limited seats in the boarding area to accommodate passengers. In some provincial airports, there is no conveyor belt for the passengers? luggage and no air conditioning in arrival areas. With these kinds of airports, one just wonders what those terminal fees are for!

2. Build more roads. While the Philippines undeniably has many beautiful sites, getting to those places as quickly, comfortably and conveniently as possible is a traveler?s major concern. Particularly outside Metro Manila, most roads are constricted and steep. In Cagayan de Oro, the road from the airport to the main city is dark and narrow and there are very few street lights to deter road accidents and crime. In some small towns in the provinces, there are no paved roads, like in the areas surrounding Benguet and the Mountain Provinces. In other more backward places, it is common to see people walking on foot carrying their trade on their back while some have to improvise and create makeshift bridges to cross to another place. At the very least, the country?s road situation makes travel difficult and inconvenient for tourists; at most, they make the journey truly daunting and dangerous.

3. Develop alternative transportation. Trains should be rehabilitated to conveniently connect various provincial destinations from Manila. Since the Philippines is an archipelagic country, water transportation such as passenger ships should be improved. This means adding daily trips, improving maintenance of sea vessels ships, and upgrading sea ports to entice more tourists to consider this option of traveling.

4. Improve public security. No more terrorist attacks, hostage-taking incidents, and kidnapping of foreigners! These episodes contribute to negative perceptions that damage the image of the Philippines.

5. Maintain decent toilet facilities. One of the major travel turn-offs is dirty, smelly and broken toilets. While the MMDA built several detestable urinals on shameful display along Edsa, it has yet to construct more clean toilets in public areas such as bus stations, parks, and jeepney terminals. In some tourists areas in the provinces, there are makeshift toilets with only a urinal and a faucet?sometimes with water, sometimes without. For some discriminating tourists, toilet experiences in a travel destination can either persuade or prevent them from coming back.

6. Develop tourism sites managed properly by LGUs. While the Philippines is inherently gifted with natural resources, its tourism potential has never been fully maximized. Aside from such famous and frequently-visited places as Boracay and Cebu, there are other tourist areas in the country that need more publicity like Davao Oriental, known as the ?Sunrise capital of the Philippines? and South Cotabato, dubbed ?Summer capital of the south.? Local government units (LGUs), with the support of the DOT, should cultivate and promote their areas as a viable tourist destination. This means implementing a tourism development program that includes improving local infrastructure and facilities, exploring ecotourism, protecting natural resources, and marketing their place, people, and product.

7. Promote a one town/one product marketing plan. Showcase the unique food and products in the local travel destinations. Most places in the Philippines are famous for something that tourists can enjoy. For example, Cebu is known for its world-class furniture; Aklan for its fine piña cloth; Laguna for its many ?original? buko pies; and Naga City sells a special concoction of chili ice cream. There is surely something that LGUs can promote that will eventually be synonymous to their places like Palawan south sea pearls, Vigan longganisa, or Batangas coffee that will entice tourists to visit the place and to come back for more.

8. Cultivate Filipino cuisine. The irony is that the Philippines has many talented chefs but Filipino cuisine does not attract the international attention it deserves. Filipino food has yet to break into the foreign tourists? consciousness in the same way that people associate pho noodles with Vietnam, tom yum soup with Thailand, and chicken rice with Singapore. Perhaps Filipino chefs should ?reinvent? traditional local dishes such as adobo, dinuguan, pinakbet, laing and sisig to make them more appealing and appetizing to the eyes and palate of foreigners without losing their distinct flavors.

Aside from Filipino food, local delicacies should also be promoted as part of the gastronomic experience in the Philippines. There are hundreds of delicious kakanins from all over the country waiting to be noticed outside of their origins such as Iloilo?s baye-baye, Pampanga?s tibok-tibok and Bukidnon?s binaki. Some of these kakanins remain obscure that even most Filipinos are not aware of them. And then there?s the country?s exotic street food, like balut, kwek-kwek, adidas, isaw and helmet which could entice the curious appetite of foreign visitors. In Beijing, there is one long lane selling different varieties of street food that foreigners visit every night. This popular food lane is accredited by the Chinese government as a tourist destination. Similarly, the Philippines can organize and showcase its local delicacies and street food as an added attraction for tourists.

9. Showcase Filipino talents. Filipinos are well-known for their talent in the performing arts. All the more should Philippine tourism highlight cultural shows, concerts, and musical plays starring Filipino talents. Given that a lot of people abroad recognize talents such as Lea Salonga, Charice, Regine Velasquez and Freddie Aguilar, tourists should all the more experience world-class Filipino talents right in the country. These shows can be incorporated into tour packages. For example, part of a trip to Bohol will have visitors watch a concert of the award-winning and world-renowned Loboc Children?s Choir. Other places in the country can cultivate their local talents to form a musical orchestra, a cultural dance group, an acrobatic troupe, or a theater company and promote them aggressively to entice visitors to come and watch.

10. Market the local fiestas. The Philippines has over 15 major festivals celebrated throughout the year that provide a glimpse of the rich religion and colorful culture of the country. From the vibrant Ati-Atihan (Aklan), Masskara (Bacolod), Panagbenga (Baguio) festivals to the unique Maleldo Lenten Rites (Pampanga) and Obando Fertility Rites (Bulacan), there are so many of these festival events that the country can offer to tourists. With every province or town having a fiesta of its own whatever time of the year, there is surely a celebration going on somewhere. While majority of the Filipinos are aware of them, foreigners are oblivious to these events. Local tour operators can market these events and incorporate them in various tour packages as yet another reason to visit the country.

Indeed, most Filipinos who have travelled to other countries, particularly in Asia, can attest to the Philippines? strong competitive edge in tourism. But evidently its natural ?beauty? is not enough. It badly needs ?cosmetic surgery? if it seeks to alleviate its low tourism standing and compete head on with its neighbors. Hopefully, the government can greatly improve Philippine tourism and effectively promote the many hidden charms that the country can offer.