Why our Dive Industry does not get too much exposure in North America?

[Pez7378]

Don't forget a large portion of US guests want AC rooms, hot water, and quality food in volumes, not necessarily something which is on offer at the majority of operations in the islands...

Also, Micro Beers, Full Bars, Nitrox, Convenient travel, Toilet seats and toilet paper, cable TV sans Brown-outs and a pool to lounge around in between dives. I have often wondered why there aren't more local shops offering packages to PI. There was one here that I am aware of but the cost was pretty high for what they were offering and I dont think they got much action. I have been to both Sogod Bay Scuba Resort, and La Estrella Beach Resort on Cabilao. Both had excellent diving and comfortable accomodations and I loved every minute. But when I think about your average American Vacation Diver going to those spots, I think they would be disappointed. Some of those locations are suited for someone who wants to dive, dive and dive some more. There just isn't much else to offer. Americans want to be pampered and PI is more like roughing it. Personally, until I have my own resort I'd prefer that they stay home. That should keep the prices down so I can afford to continue diving there.

 

[eagerbeaver]

Also, Micro Beers, Full Bars, Nitrox, Convenient travel, Toilet seats and toilet paper, cable TV sans Brown-outs and a pool to lounge around in between dives. I have often wondered why there aren't more local shops offering packages to PI. There was one here that I am aware of but the cost was pretty high for what they were offering and I dont think they got much action. I have been to both Sogod Bay Scuba Resort, and La Estrella Beach Resort on Cabilao. Both had excellent diving and comfortable accomodations and I loved every minute. But when I think about your average American Vacation Diver going to those spots, I think they would be disappointed. Some of those locations are suited for someone who wants to dive, dive and dive some more. There just isn't much else to offer. Americans want to be pampered and PI is more like roughing it. Personally, until I have my own resort I'd prefer that they stay home. That should keep the prices down so I can afford to continue diving there.

There are operations offering everything you mention(except the micro beers - but that is asking a lot)....and they are doing very well with US business We can add excellent full massage services(no jokes please) wireless internet access, large retail areas for dive gear and souvenirs, suites with dvd players and couches etc etc...more to come soon

 

[clgsamson]

you forgot to mention the jaegermeister machine, Matt.

 

[eagerbeaver]

you forgot to mention the jaegermeister machine, Matt.

Selective memory I believe that's called; Ulrika did explain it to me, but I can't remember

Just thinking about one of the points made in the OP(i think) about having discounted rates for locals. While this is very desireable, the points made about ID are very valid; and this is connected with the fact that when someone gets a good price for a special reason and then goes to the LDS or on the internet and tells everyone how "I got a great deal and didn't need to go through an agent" - then everyone wants that price or that deal, and the agents again looses interesting in marketing to that operation and the operation gets stuck giving out low ball prices to everyone on what was supposed to be a "special deal"

Unfortunately divers can be quite a frugal group and operations need to be careful they don't end up on a slippery slope...if we don't compete on price then everyone can earn good money for the services they sell.

 

[Thalassamania]

The reality is that, even to this day, most of the dive destinations that are "popular" are the result of the backsheesh that was liberaly provided to Skin Diver Magazaine by the pioneering resorts in return for glowing write-ups. Incredible that that investment is still paying dividends today.

 

[Zeeman]

Here are my theories to the question above:
1. Most local dive shops do not offer comprehensive packages through major North American dive travel agencies. I only know of one or two dive resorts that do but what about the rest? Indonesia's dive sites are well known by a lot of North American dive enthusiasts. And, most dive travel agencies offer packages to Indonesia.

For some this is good, for others bad. certainly, offering a package can only improve the numbers, as people like me who just plan it as I go can always do this regardless. Though I'm not sur eif this will make a huge difference, but having all transfers included will make life easier for those who hate sorting it out themselves.

2. A lot of dive shops are owned by either Europeans or Asians of other nationalities aside from Filipino. They tend to advertise in their native countries, mostly by word of mouth. For some reason (this is just my observation), the Philippines gets more advertising exposure in Europe, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan.

This is, I think, pretty accurate. I think word of mouth may be the best advertising you can get - but oyu need the people to visit to begin with to get the word out.

3. We undercharge our dive services to foreign visitors. I believe, there is not that much overhead to be able to afford advertising or marketing our services. To a typical North American or European or Japanese, the rates the local dive shop offer is a basement bargain price. For example, A two-tank dive in Mexico costs around $65 or $75. I believe it is lower in the Philippines. But why are we doing this? If we can provide a comparable or even better level of quality of service. If we charge the correct (i.e. North American or European standard rate, we'll have more money to allow for advertising and marketing. In Mexico, the locals seem get a special Mexican rate to enjoy the resorts normally visited by foreign visitors. We can do the same locally so Filipinos would be able to afford to stay and dive with local resorts/shops frequently visited by foreign visitors. But, since we do not have a national ID system or even a reliable system with a reliable ID card, there is no way to tell if you are indeed a local or a foreign free-loader.

Hold on there! Don't get too excited about higher prices and more income just yet. at the moment, you have probably got quite a high number of tourists (like me) who visit because, once the airfare is paid, it is not expensive to have a 1 or 2 week holiday where I can dive each day and also enjoy the wonderful sights that are littered all over your amazing country. I have to pay int he region of $75 a dive already in my own country, I have the Great Barrier Reef, PNG, Vanuatu, Fiji, Tahiti, Exmouth and the various reefs in Western Australia all available (along with a heap of other pacific islands within 3 hours flight) minus the $1000+ airfare. Take away the cheaper dive prices, and you take away my incentives. I fear you will find you lose diving tourists if you take this route.[/quote]

4. Is it the local mentality of "pwede na yan" (translated as: 'that's good enough') combined with the "kanya-kanya' (translated as: 'to each his own' or 'I do my stuff and you do yours') and 'bahala na' (translated as: Que Sera-sera) attitude that is stunting the growth of the Philippine Dive Industry? No one is aiming high enough to be world class. Is this a classic case of, "It's just alright that I eat three times a day and have a good business that provides me with a comfortable existence in the tropics." kind of thing?

I, personally, kind of like this attitude, I'm on a holiday, and I like those around me to be relaxed. So it takes 40 minutes to get lunch, Bahala Na. I'll get it, and it will taste great, in the mean time, I have some friends to talk with and my beer mug/wine glass is being filled on a regular basis.

I can, however, see where this is a problem, I know Americans place a very high value on service, and they like things snappy. Personally, I find it harder to relax in a 3 hat restaurant, as apposed to, say Blue Moon in PG, where the food was fantastic, but it kinda took a while. Either way, I think the trick is to have staff that can pick out the customers who they have to be formal and "hold their hands" so to speak, and to be able to pick the clients with whom they can relax, have a joke and make them relax too.

5. I also blame the Philippine Government's lame promotion of the local Tourism Industry. The Philippines has a lot of potential. Heck, if they do a good job, they can even beat Thailand. Now, Vietnam and Cambodia are fast becoming tourist destinations when a few years ago, no one is even thinking of visting those places. What the hell is wrong?!!!

The advertising is lacking, I rarely see advertising for PI diving in the local scuba mags, though I think "editorials" in newspapers may be more effective.

I know my first trip the the PI was a direct result of reading about Donsol, and swimming with whale sharks which I read about in the travel section of one of our Sunday newspapers. It was quite a small column, hidden between something about a huge red rock int he middle of Australia and people skiing on white powder in North America. But there was a photo of a little man next to a big fish, and that was cool. I had to read it. 3 months later, the and I am spending 2 weeks in PI.

To assure RonFrank - if my experience is anything to go by, you will get more help with any PI trip planning than you could dream of. My experience was that of many of the PPD taking lots of time out form there own schedules to help me out, show me around, and even put me up! I'd start a thank you list, but you may as well look up who members of the PPD, and you should get a pretty comprehensive list.

 

[Scuba_Si]

I think a big thing that lets the PI down is having to fly into Manila, those going to Indonesia can fly into Bali and be in a nice quiet resort within a 20 minute drive, or Singapore and then get connecting flights to Lembeh or wherever. Manila Airport (is teh new one open yet?)is a pain in the ass and the traffic is terrible, i LOVE the EDSA! hahaha

I really like the Philippines and try to go once a year, but i think for the average diving tourist from the US (i've dealt with literally 1000's of them on liveaboards) there are few things that may make them choose to dive elsewhere. I shall mostly compare Indo to PI here:

1. Lack of good info about how to get around the islands. It's a big place and i know a bit about it, but I couldn't show you where Donsol/Boracay/Malapascua is on a map or have a clue how to get there, whereas i know where Lembeh is and that Silk air fly direct from Singapore etc. I haven't been to any of those locations.

2. Misinformation by the US government. Ooh, terrorists, im not going.

3. I think only Atlantis and Explorer Fleet have US representatives. Fact is that 'westerners' don't like sending Credit Card details to '3rd World' Indonesia or PI, however, many tour companies that deal Indo Dive ops are based in the US so people feel much more secure paying within the US so they have some recourse should everything go wrong. Most of the bookings for diving in Indonesia seem to come through agents...

4. This one might seem a little random, but Indonesia has a Peter Hughes, and an Aggressor; both trusted by Americans, they add credibility to a location, then add to that the big companies like Kararu and Seven Seas etc. Compare that to Explorer fleet and their reef crashing habits... (had to get the dig in somewhere ) There are other liveaboards in the PI, but i don't know their names (due to lack of advertising). Oh, and Americans love liveaboards, and they often stay around for a week after their trip. Lots of Americans going to Bali do so after a week on a boat in Komodo, Sulawesi etc.

5. We may go out for a giggle in PG and not feel perturbed by the amount of girls in and around the bars, but could you imagine going there on a family dive trip without knowing in advance? It's that kind of negative publicity via word of mouth that must hurt the nation as a whole. If you stay in the Big 3 resorts (asia divers, atlantis, La Laguna) there i doubt you'll notice it too much, but try to save a bit of cash and stay in Sabang you might be in for a shock. This is not indicative of the Philippines as a whole, but if i booked 2 weeks in the PI with a typical English/American girlfriend and spent the whole time in PG, i wouldn't be allowed back (well, not with her anyway ). I love PG and the diving, but couldn't imagine taking my folks there to go diving - and they love the Philippines. Girlie bars are everywhere in Asia and the world, it is just that in some places they are more hidden and low key.

6. 'All the reefs in the Philippines are in poor condition due to el nino, dynamite, cyanide etc' Simply not true, but so many people say it who have never been there, just repeating hearsay. However, the dive ops among you need to stop using anchors at divesites if you still do, it will kill the reef very quickly, especially in Anilao.

7. Do any of the US airlines fly direct to Manila? From my memory i believe hearing a lot of complaints about how hard it was to get to DEMA from the PI.

8. Americans love their airmiles and are very loyal to them. For example if they have a continental airmiles account they will choose their holiday by where the airline flies to, continental fly to Bali via Guam.


I hope it doesnt come across as Pinoy bashing as i love the PI, and you guys from the PPD, but it's just some of my thoughts on the matter having lived for a short while in both countries.

Oh, and i'm not trying to generalise anything about Americans, i like them too!

 

[Ben_ca]

I have never dived in the Philippines but through my research of the various dive operations in the different provinces, I realized that most of them are foreign-owned!

Phil (bisugo767)

Maybe you should actually dive there before critiqueing
This is a rant and should be moved...

There's only a small number of the operations that have internet presences... the local operators that do often only have the simplest of pages. Now does that mean that they aren't good? No it sometimes means that they are operating fine and doing well with just word of mouth and they want to stay that way.

When I'm off on a diving excursion I don't want a ton of people at the resort I'm staying. A few fellow divers, some peace and quiet and no overloaded boats would be fine.

You can keep the bus loads of drunk and loud tourists and cattle boats.

 

[clgsamson]

I
Oh, and i'm not trying to generalise anything about Americans, i like them too!

and some canadians....

 

[bisugo767]

Hi, thank you for the link to your PG and Dumaguete photos. These pictures help dispel the perception that Philippine diving is not so good. Philippine dive sites just need some exposure. Your pictures were great! My wife and I love them!

Phil (bisugo767)

I don't know that the Philippines are getting short shrift compared to Indonesia. In my part of the world (Santa Barbara, CA), they are advertised about the same. I just got back from a trip to Puerto Gallera and Dumaguete that was put together by my LDS. The diving was amazing and I had a great time.

One strange thing I do have to add is that after I got back, I had some odd encounters with some Filipino friends and acquaintances. When I told them I had just returned from a vacation in the Philippines they looked at me incredulously. They asked why would I chose the Philippines for a vacation. I had to explain that there was incredible diving there. They had no idea that there WAS good diving in their home country! If this happened only once I would pawn it off an anomaly, but it happened four or five times! Weird.

FYI, there are some photos at:

Philippines - a photoset on Flickr