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by Sheila Crisostomo http://www.philstar .com/Article. aspx?articleId= 451183&publicationSubCate\ goryId=63 The Department of Tourism (DOT) yesterday endorsed more than P20 million worth of tourism-related investments for 2009 that are expected to generate some 3,000 jobs for Filipinos. Tourism Secretary Ace Durano said these investments will also create more than 2,000 rooms, boosting efforts to promote tourism. "With this initial list of investments, the country is assured of a vibrant tourism industry, with bigger revenues and more jobs. And consequently, these will lead to developments in transportation and road infrastructure, " he said. The tourism projects include nine resorts, six hotels, two theme parts and one condotel or condominium- hotel. Durano added that for the first quarter, the establishments that opened were Park Bed & Breakfast Hotel and Restaurant (48 rooms) in Pasay; Sugihara Villa Resort, Vauban Villa Resort, Salamanca Villa Resort, Almonavide...

South Koreans still top foreign tourists to RP - DOT MANILA, Philippines- Foreign tourist arrivals in the first quarter of the year rose marginally from a year earlier, still led by visitors from South Korea, the Department of Tourism said Tuesday. In a statement, the DOT said foreign tourist arrivals rose 8.5 percent to 858,244 in the first three months of 2008 from 790,888 visitors in the same period last year. The agency said that for the period in review, the most number of foreign visitors came in during January (293,803) while the month of February registered the highest growth of 11.7 percent. The tourism agency said the Korean market still the top markets as it contributed the biggest arrivals of 175,147 during the first three months of the year. The Korean market had a 20.4-percent share of total inbound traffic and registered a growth of 2 percent compared to 171,716 in 2007. Visitors from the United States constituted the second biggest arrivals with 166,128, or 19.4 perce...

by Zinnia De La Peña The arrival of a Universal Studios theme park in the Philippines is creating a huge buzz after the Genting Berhad Group secured the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.(Pagcor)’s nod for its proposed project within the Las Vegas-like Bagong Nayong Pilipino-Manila Bay Integrated Tourism City. Pagcor chairman and chief executive officer Efraim Genuino said the Genting Group has committed to develop 35 hectares of the 90-hectare prime reclaimed land facing Manila Bay into a world-class tourist destination. Genuino said the Genting Berhad Group is planning to invest $3 billion in the Manila Bay Integrated City , the Philippines ’ biggest tourism development project. The Genting Berhad Group owns the Genting Highlands Resort in Malaysia and holds the exclusive development rights of film giant Universal Studios in Asia . It has teamed up with its subsidiary Star Cruises and Alliance Global Inc., the listed investment holding firm of retail tycoon Andrew Tan, fo...