With its world-class beaches and natural attractions, the Philippines is well-positioned to draw high-spending tourists by further investing in its dining scene, and elevating food and beverage (F&B) experiences for travelers.

According to the Oxford Economics (OE) study titled “Capturing High-Quality Tourism in Southeast Asia,” premium F&B experiences are among the top factors influencing travelers when choosing destinations.

It found that value for money cuts across every traveler segment’s — luxury tourists, mid-range travelers, and value-conscious visitors — priorities, with a tourist willing to pay an average of USD250, to visit destinations that offer high-quality experiences.

These offerings include having diverse F&B products by renowned chefs, creative menus, exceptional service, as well as availability of venues serving premium alcoholic drinks.

At the study’s Manila launch on Thursday, renowned chef Jessie Sincioco noted that in terms of food alone, the country could easily compete with the “best in the world,” as long as they are prepared properly.

“Look at our sisig, I think we’re the only country who prepares sisig in the world,” she said in a panel discussion.

“When done properly, we could outdo the best of the best in the world. Our sinigang alone, if we get the freshest and the best seafood and sour it with fresh tamarind or kamias or tomatoes, it’s a very simple dish, but when done properly, it’d be the best soup ever,” she added.

University of the Philippines Institute of Tourism Associate Professor Ramon Benedico Alampay emphasized that destinations must offer options for high, medium, and low markets to allow visitors to experience local high-end offerings that reflect a “true sense of place and culture.”

“Food experiences and dining [are] a very important part of Philippine culture, and that’s what we want to express, and that’s where we can get our competitive advantage from,” he said.

However, he noted that positioning the Philippines as a high-value F&B destination “remains an abstract idea” that must be further developed.

Woo high-spending tourists

The OE study, in collaboration with the Asia Pacific International Spirits and Wines Alliance (APISWA) and the Alcoholic Beverages Alliance of the Philippines Inc. (ABAPI), surveyed 1,800 travelers from the region’s five major tourist source markets—China, South Korea, Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

Seven out of 10 potential Southeast Asian tourists regard F&B offering as “important or very important” to their destination choice.

The report also found that tourists are “2.5 times” more likely to choose the place when “premium F&B experiences” are available, compared to those with more standard service offerings.

The quality of F&B offering in a destination, it added, is “more important to the average tourist than the historical and cultural sites the destination offer.”

OE Director for Economic Consulting James Lambert said policymakers in the country will play an important role in capturing this market by facilitating the development of F&B experience and helping nurture a business environment that supports “competitively-priced products and services.”

“Travelers want value for money. So, good value remains key to influencing destination offerings, and it’s part of what travelers consider to be high quality experience,” he said. (PNA)