Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
24,544 posts, read 56,029,399 times
Reputation: 11862
Advertisements
Looking at visitor numbers in SE Asia it seems Malaysia and Thailand are well ahead of the rest. The Philippines seems to have just as much to offer yet it only has a fraction of the tourist arrivals as those other two. Why is this? The political situation? Not being so tourist-friendly? Indonesia, apart from Bali, seems more a destination for the adventurous traveller. Again, I wonder why this is?
Looking at visitor numbers in SE Asia it seems Malaysia and Thailand are well ahead of the rest. The Philippines seems to have just as much to offer yet it only has a fraction of the tourist arrivals as those other two. Why is this? The political situation? Not being so tourist-friendly? Indonesia, apart from Bali, seems more a destination for the adventurous traveller. Again, I wonder why this is?
There is a lot less sex tourism to Indonesia and the Philippines.
safety issues.
lots of kidnap/robbery and lots of hostility to people with money. i know philippino people who have been set up by their own relatives.
There is a lot less sex tourism to Indonesia and the Philippines.
actually the PI is arguably the best destination for sex in all of asia. by far the easiest country to pick up non-working girls, and its premier P4P destination angeles city is only rivaled by pattaya in thailand, in terms of number of gogo bars and working girls. it's a paradise for PUA's and whoremongers alike.
jakarta(blok m, hotel travel, etc etc etc etc), surabaya(dolly), and batam (off the coast of singapore) are also well known destinations in whoremongering circles.
as for why more people don't go, it's somewhat isolated being an island nation and all. also it is more dangerous than other SE asian countries. it also has poor travellers infrastructure. like if someone wants to go to krabi or or phi phi or phang nga bay its pretty simple, airports close by, very easy process. the closest thing to these places is el nido on palawan in the philippines. to get there first you have to fly to puerto princessa then a grueling 8-10 hour bus ride from there.
The Philippines seems to have just as much to offer yet it only has a fraction of the tourist arrivals as those other two.
They don't have as much to offer for the usual tourist. Thailand has a very strong tourists infrastructure that makes it easy for anyone from touchdown to having their massage to viewing the temples etc. not even close.
Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
24,544 posts, read 56,029,399 times
Reputation: 11862
Quote:
Originally Posted by slackjaw
They don't have as much to offer for the usual tourist. Thailand has a very strong tourists infrastructure that makes it easy for anyone from touchdown to having their massage to viewing the temples etc. not even close.
Well I'm talking things like natural beauty, culture, the whole experience.
I spent last Feb and Mar in the Philippines with my family visiting relatives and playing tourist. The corruption and personal security issue will never allow the RP to become a world class tourist destination. The people are friendly, the weather can be great, the beaches, natural beauty, and history is all there. But even in the small town my wife is from (in the middle of Luzon) I could not go out alone, I had to have a family member with me. I was not scared but they were.
For Philippines, a traveler would have to make that a primary destination---it's not on the route to anywhere, and not adjacent to any other country where you can make a multi-country tour.
Similarly, Indonesia requires an extra effort to get there, and travel within Indonesia is not easy. You can't just hop on a bus, but are subject to either short flights or an inter-island ferry which might not even be daily.
Also, tourism is a kind of vicious circle. If there aren't many people going there, then the tourism industry does not develop, and as a result, not many people want to go there.
I liked Indonesia quite a lot. As a traveler, it seemed that nobody ever paid any attention to me at all. Nothing was set up for travelers, and I just circulated around with the Indonesians. I have no idea what it like to be a tourist.
Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
24,544 posts, read 56,029,399 times
Reputation: 11862
Quote:
Originally Posted by jtur88
For Philippines, a traveler would have to make that a primary destination---it's not on the route to anywhere, and not adjacent to any other country where you can make a multi-country tour.
Similarly, Indonesia requires an extra effort to get there, and travel within Indonesia is not easy. You can't just hop on a bus, but are subject to either short flights or an inter-island ferry which might not even be daily.
Also, tourism is a kind of vicious circle. If there aren't many people going there, then the tourism industry does not develop, and as a result, not many people want to go there.
I liked Indonesia quite a lot. As a traveler, it seemed that nobody ever paid any attention to me at all. Nothing was set up for travelers, and I just circulated around with the Indonesians. I have no idea what it like to be a tourist.
I think places without a lot of tourist infrastructure will lure 'real' adventure travellers, or at least those who want a more authentic experience. Going to Thailand and hanging out among other travellers, never having to learn more than a few words of Thai, and doing nothing more than shop or lay on the beach is one thing, but I'd rather be among the cachet of travellers to places like Lake Toba in Sumatra, or Sulawesi, because these people have taken the effort to make it there because it isn't as easy.
Flights in the region are cheap so I think the Phillipines are easily accessible, as is Indonesia. Indonesia is on our doorstep yet Australians only really go to Bali. The only people who travel to Java in large numbers are Indonesians who have migrated here anyway. I would think Java would offer a lot, yet it's hardly on the tourist radar. Indonesia should really capitalise on it's tourist industry. It's a pity it's such a corrupt and at times dangerous place, the breeding ground for Islamic terrorism in the Asia-Pacific region. The fact our government advised against visiting Indonesia for a long time of course didn't help.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
