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菲律宾发展博彩业吸引中国游客

Tourism is a multi-billion dollar industry in the Philippines. Close to five million foreign visitors traveled there last year, perhaps lured¹ by the country’s tropical beaches. But the country hopes to entice² more travelers to stay indoors and spend money inside new casinos.

在菲律宾，旅游业的产值上百亿美元。去年有将近五百万外国游客访问了菲律宾，很多人流连忘返于充满热带风情的海滩。不过，菲律宾如今希望把包括中国人在内的外国游客留在室内，让他们在新建的赌场中消费。

When international visitors touch down in the Philippine capital, they do not have very far to go to reach the casinos.

当来自国外的游客抵达菲律宾首都马尼拉时，他们并不需要走太远就能够找到赌场。

Entertainment City is located adjacent to the international airport. Two of its four planned casinos are now open for business. That includes the new resort, the City of Dreams.

娱乐城（Entertainment City）紧挨着国际机场。在此筹建的四处赌场中有两处已经开门营业。其中包括名为“梦想之城”（the City of Dreams）的新兴度假区。

When it opened in February, gaming officials said this hotel and casino complex will help turn Manila into the next Macau, which has long been Asia’s gambling³ hub.

在2月份开始营业的时候，博彩局的官员说，这处囊括酒店和赌场的产业会帮助马尼拉变成下一个澳门。澳门长时间雄踞亚洲博彩中心。

Manila-based travel writer Carlo Velasco says his city still has a ways to go before that can happen. But he says more casinos can be good for the local economy.

然而，住在马尼拉的旅行作家卡罗·贝拉斯科（Carlo Velasco）认为，马尼拉距离实现这样的目标还有很长的路要走。但是他同时也确定兴建赌场会助力当地经济发展。

“We do have a need to create or diversify⁴ our tourism in Manila.  As you can see Manila as a tourism destination is limited in terms of appeal to the international market,” says Velasco.

他说：“我们需要兴建更加多元的马尼拉旅游业。正如你所见，马尼拉作为一处旅行目的地，在吸引国际市场方面仍然有局限。”

And in order to make Manila’s gaming industry a success, Velasco says foreign gamblers are essential.

贝拉斯科说，来自国外的赌客是马尼拉博彩业发展的必需资源。

“The casinos in the Philippines need to appeal to the high rollers and most of them come from the international market, mainly China,” says Velasco.

他说：“菲律宾的赌场需要吸引一掷千金的玩家，而这些大玩家多数来自国际市场，主要是中国人。”

Chinese travelers were the fourth largest nationality that visited the Philippines in 2014. Some observers say this is a market that the country cannot miss out on.

2014年，访问菲律宾的中国游客人数在所有国家中排名第四位。一些观察人士说，这是一个菲律宾不应错过的市场。

Edieser De la Santa lectures at the University of the Philippines Asian Institute of Tourism.

埃迪亚瑟·德拉·桑塔（Edieser De la Santa）是菲律宾大学亚洲旅游研究所的讲师。

“Chinese tourists travel in droves, they spend a lot of money and it’s forecast by the World Tourism Organization to be the number one tourism market in the world,” says De la Santa.

他说：“中国游客往往组团而行，他们消费很多。世界旅行组织预计中国未来会成为世界头号旅游市场。”

But since Beijing issued a travel warning for the Philippines late last year, the number of Chinese tourists here has been on the decline.

但自从去年下旬北京官方发布了针对菲律宾的旅游警告以来，来自中国的游客数量已经急剧下降。

De la Santa says the move was most likely in retaliation⁵ for territorial⁶ disputes with Manila in the South China Sea.

德拉·桑塔说这很可能是针对两国南中国海领土争端的行为。

But the City of Dreams casino does not seem worried about the decline in Chinese tour groups.  Representatives say they are focused on the domestic market and attracting other Asian gamblers.

“中国市场对这一局面的反应比较负面。而旅行团又是中国市场的主流。”他说。但“梦想之城”赌场似乎并不担心中国旅行团的减少。赌场代表说，他们会更加关注国内市场以及吸引其他亚洲游客。