FILE PHOTO: Senator Nancy Binay, chairperson of the Senate committee on tourism. PRIB Photo
MANILA, Philippines— We must avoid a “national embarrassment,” Senator Nancy Binay stressed on Monday as the country prepares to host the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
The Philippines, alongside Japan and Indonesia, will host the basketball tilt from August 25-September 10 next year.
According to Binay, the government needs to convene an inter-agency council “to support the efforts of the private sector and ensure that the country avoids any fiasco.”
“This is a good opportunity to show that the Philippines is back on the tourism map,” the head of the Senate committee on tourism said in a statement.
“Siyempre, since FIBA is the biggest international tournament for basketball, ayaw nating mapahiya. We must at all costs avoid a national embarrassment that we may have to endure because of haphazard planning,” she added.
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The senator then prodded the Department of Tourism (DOT) to work closely with the private sector to ensure there would be no hitches to the country’s co-hosting of the games.
“While this is a private sector-led endeavor, the government should still not be remiss in ensuring that we have the capacity to absorb the expected influx of tourists who will come to watch the games,” she said.
“We expect DOT to deliver a unique high-value experience sa mga foreign tourists na manonood ng FIBA World Cup. We want our visitors to extend their stay even after the games, and want to come back dahil nag-enjoy sila sa Pilipinas (because they enjoyed the Philippines),” Binay also said.
Binay said the DOT could assist the market of the Fiba games with hotels, tour operators, and travel agencies by offering promo packages and other incentives.
“Pwede na mag-set-up ng information desks sa hotels and airports. Dapat looking forward na tayo sa posibleng tourism receipts na madi-generate ng games,” she pointed out.
The senator said the DOT, along with the Department of Transportation, may already discuss all possible issues that may arise, prepare the country’s airports, tolls, buses and shuttles, craft plans so there would be minimal traffic congestion along routes to game venues, and come up with measures to ensure that travelers will not “go through hell” to get to the games.