The Next Phuket

Is in the Philippines.

This is a continuation of my earlier post Where to invest in 2010-2015? I said, Philippines and on its tourism potentials.

Here is an excerpts:

In the first quarter of this year, the country’s prime tourism season, the number of foreign visitors to the Philippines was up by 8 percent from the same period a year ago; Boracay, which is less than an hour’s flight from Manila, had a 20 percent spike in tourism. Last year, this island’s 650,000 tourists — a third of them foreign — marked an all-time high, according to the department of tourism.

To read the full article in New York Times, here is the link.

Where to invest in 2010-2015?

There's a fear for a double dip recession in North America, and Greek debts and its contagion in Europe.

But there is Asia, specifically South East Asia. Here is what HSBC said:

Asian economies will "grow pretty fast" over the next two decades, with Indonesia and Vietnam emerging as the new stars behind powerhouses China and India, HSBC chairman Stephen Green said Tuesday.

"Asia is not just a Chinese story, not even just a Chinese and Indian story," Green, chairman of the Asia-focused banking giant HSBC told a financial event held in London.

Look at "places like Indonesia, places like Vietnam -- (South) Korea will continue to be a power-house too -- Bangladesh is becoming a more and more interesting economy", said Green.

"The East is catching up" with its Western peers, he said, adding: "We've moved from a period in the world's history where a small number of rich countries representing a maximum 10 percent of the world's population was producing and consuming 40-50 percent of the world's output."

Asked how he saw Asia performing over the next 20 years, Green said: "I think they will continue to grow pretty fast. I think that the shift in the center of gravity from the West to the East has only accelerated through the (financial) crisis and I think ... that shift will continue for the next generation at least."

Green forecast that Indonesia and Vietnam would become members of BRIC -- the world's top four emerging markets representing Brazil, Russia, India and China.

"I think they will be joined by a couple of other Asian countries. Indonesia is a country which is beginning to reach a more stable growth path and has all the ingredients for strong performance, assuming strong political leadership and stability there. Vietnam is another one."

Green added that Brazil was "on a very strong growth track, very closely linked of course with what is going on in Asia" because of the latter's thirst for the South American country's raw materials.

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IMO, do not forget the Philippines, its beautiful beaches, strategic location, and hospitable people. It is bound to be a center of tourism in a few years.

They also have elected a very personable and hard working President that provided fresh hope to the nation.

Fears for the Double Dip Recession

From finance.yahoo.com:

With stock prices spiraling downward and treasury yields tanking, the market has been sending a clear message this week: The fragile economic recovery is in trouble. But just how bad is the outlook? In the aftermath of a bleak second quarter, experts are still divided about the likelihood of a double-dip recession. What's becoming clearer with each new report, though, is that the economy--even if it doesn't double dip--is steadily losing ground.

The economic souring is, of course, being spearheaded by a familiar cast of characters: An anemic labor market, a skeptical consumer base, a weak housing market, and a global debt crisis that threatens to overwhelm national governments, just to name a few. Further deterioration in even one of these arenas could be enough to trigger a double-dip, which is loosely defined as a period during which a recovery is interrupted by economic contraction, usually in the form of negative GDP growth.

Uncertain times. It better get better. So be careful.

How to invest wisely in a franchise

The Philippine Franchise Association (PFA) is offering a free seminar on how to invest wisely in a franchise.

The PFA seminar, set for July 17 and 18 at the SMX Convention Center during the staging of Franchise 2010: the 18th Philippine International Franchise Conference and Expo (PIFCE), will be open to the public.

The PIFCE seminar will guide prospective entrepreneurs in choosing the right franchise investment as the PFA encourages entrepreneurship through franchising, which has been proven to have the highest rate of success.

To be held in cooperation with Francorp Philippines, the seminar “Investing in a Franchise Wisely” is part of the PFA’s advocacy to promote franchising as a tool for economic and national development.

At the same time, PIFCE will showcase various franchise investment opportunities at various levels. Limited slots are available and registration will be on a first-come, first-served basis.

Other seminars at the Franchise 2010 Expo are “Franchising your Business Right” and “Master Franchising 101.” Registration rates for these two seminars are P1,950 and P1,000, respectively.

Scheduled on July 16 to 18, Franchising your business Right is a seminar on how to franchise one’s business and includes presentations on the franchise advantage and development process.

Master Franchising 101 is a seminar on how to acquire multi-unit franchises through master franchising, featuring several master franchise opportunities.

The 18th PIFCE is the biggest franchise event in Asia, showcasing investment opportunities in the Philippines and abroad.

With the theme “Getting Ready for the World,” Franchise 2010 proclaims that now is the time for the Philippines to play a more important role in global franchising.

For details and special admission rates, visit www.franchise2010.com or inquire at the PFA Secretariat (tel. 687-0365 to 67, 0917-832-0731, or e-mail pfa@pfa.org.ph). Other information on the expo can be obtained from exhibit management team Global Link MP Events (tel. 750-8588 or e-mail franchise@globallinkmp.com).