Christina Frasco – Page 3 – Author Carlo Carrasco

Foreign tourist arrivals in the Philippines about to reach 2023 target

November 28, 2023November 26, 2023carlocarrasco

Philippine tourism is back in the spotlight once again as the Department of Tourism (DOT) headed by its secretary Cristina Frasco announced that the 2023 foreign tourist arrivals target of 4.8 million is about to reached and the tourism sector has contributed more than P400 billion to the national economy, according to a Philippine News Agency (PNA) news article.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA news report. Some parts in boldface…

The tourism sector is the second highest driver for economic growth during the first half of the year, a result of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s focus on the industry.

Department of Tourism Secretary Cristina Frasco said on Saturday that tourism has so far contributed PHP404 billion to the economy and has reached 99 percent of its goal of 4.8 million international arrivals for 2023.

The improving employment rate is the top contributor to the economy while the increase in investment registration activities and students coming back to school follow tourism.

“I am also here to deliver the good news under the President’s focus of prioritizing tourism. Tourism has emerged as one of the strongest pillars of our economy. According to our national economic managers, tourism is the second top highest driver for economic growth in the first six months of this year,” Frasco said during the opening of the 2nd North Luzon Tourism Expo at Camp John Hay in Baguio City.

She said for Marcos, tourism is a priority “and for that very reason, we have seen the strides we have accomplished in a year.”

Among the government support for the tourism industry are at least 158 kilometers of roads rehabilitated and in 2024, there will be more improvements in airports, Frasco said.

“The flight portfolio of our major international gateways is gradually recovering and we have increased the tourism experience across the country by building tourist rest areas (TRA) across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao,” Frasco said.

She said the TRA is one of the ways the government wants to extend its welcome to tourists by giving them a special experience.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think that the DOT has done a good job making tourism a more vibrant and more economic sector this year? Has the increase of foreign tourist arrivals this year benefited your business? Do you think that the foreign tourist arrivals will reach 5,000,000 by the end of 2023?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Foreign tourist arrivals in the Philippines approaching 4 million

September 25, 2023September 25, 2023carlocarrasco

Close to four million foreign tourist arrivals have been counted lately as Department of Tourism (DOT) secretary Christine Frasco confirmed, according to a Philippine News Agency (PNA) news article. Take note that the target for 2023 is 4.8 million foreign tourist arrivals and the government intends to make the country a stronger tourism force in Asia by the year 2028.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA news article. Some parts in boldface…

The Philippines is close to hitting its 2023 arrival target after recording more than 3.87 million foreign tourists as of Sept. 19, Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said Wednesday.

At the opening of the 2023 Philippine Travel Exchange (PHITEX) in Cebu, Frasco said the country logged 3,877,183 inbound arrivals or at least 80.77 percent of the 4.8 million foreign tourists that the DOT targets to reach by the end of the year.

In the same period, the Philippines generated PHP316.9 billion in revenue from tourists coming mostly from South Korea, the United States and Japan.

Frasco is optimistic these figures will increase as business-to-business meetings between sellers and buyers at the PHITEX commence on Sept. 20.

She said the Marcos administration would continue working to transform the Philippines as a “tourism powerhouse in Asia”.

She shared the DOT’s plans and programs aimed at promoting ecotourism, the development of tourism communities across the country, fostering robust private sector participation to promote heritage protection, diversification of the country’s tourism portfolio and other initiatives to benefit tourism stakeholders.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What do you think about this recent development? With the likelihood that the Philippines will be able to surpass its 2023 foreign tourist arrivals target of 4.8 million, do you think the number could reach 6 million by the end of the year? Did you notice any positive economic impact from the rising foreign tourist arrivals? If you own a business, did you benefit from foreign tourists’ spending?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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PHILTOA commended by DOT Secretary Frasco for unwavering commitment to revitalizing Philippine tourism

September 1, 2023August 29, 2023carlocarrasco

Philippine Tour Operators Association (PHILTOA), the organization composed of tour operators and allied members that are actively involved in the advocacy of responsible tourism, was commended by Department of Tourism (DOT) Christina Frasco during their 4th General Membership Meeting (4th GMM) held recently at Crimson Hotel in Filinvest City, Alabang, Muntinlupa, according to a Manila Bulletin article. Specifically they were commended for unwavering commitment to revitalizing Philippine tourism.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…

The Philippine Tour Operators Association (Philtoa) recently hosted its 4th General Membership Meeting at the Crimson Hotel Filinvest City in Muntinlupa, with the Department of Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco as keynote speaker. Led by Philtoa President Fe Abling-Yu, the meeting also highlighted Bacolod City as the featured destination, with Mayor Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez in attendance.

Secretary Frasco commended Philtoa for its unwavering commitment to revitalizing Philippine tourism, highlighting the association’s promotion of inclusive tourism development in both established and emerging destinations.

“We recognize that there are several emerging destinations across the country that, if given the right assistance, attention, development, and promotion, have the potential to become key destinations, as far as tourism is concerned,” the tourism chief said. “This is why I’m very grateful to Philtoa, because their focus has not been our world-famous destinations alone, but also in giving opportunities to emerging destinations. This is reflective of true shared tourism governance, where the private sector mobilizes the industry to assist the government to ensure inclusive tourism development.“

With this, Bacolod City also took center stage at the 4th GMM as a growing “super city” with exciting advancements in tourism, including infrastructure, art, culture, and culinary experiences. Mayor Benitez highlighted upcoming projects such as the Bacolod Convention Center, which can accommodate up to 10,000 people for MICE events; the Bacolod Masskara Museum/Trade Center; and the Orange Project, a prominent art gallery. The renowned Masskara Festival, spanning three weeks, promises a vibrant celebration of sports, food, spirits, and festivities.

To further underscore its commitment to fostering partnerships and growth within the industry, Philtoa President Abling-Yu announced the upcoming 34th Philippine Travel Mart, scheduled from Sept. 1 to 3 at the SMX Convention Center Manila in Pasay City.

She stated: “We are grateful for the strong partnerships with the Department of Tourism, Tourism Promotions Board, Philippine Airlines, BPI, and our media partners. The 34th Philippine Travel Mart is not only a showcase of our country’s incredible destinations but also a celebration of our industry’s resilience and strength as a major contributor to the country’s growth and progress.”

The association also welcomed 10 new tour operators, an immigration services agency, and 15 hotel and resort properties, increasing the total membership to over 500.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this development? Are you convinced that the PHILTOA deserves the commendation from the Tourism Secretary? Do you think that Philippine tourism will exceed its foreign tourist arrivals target by a wide margin before the year ends? What other activities or special events should the PHILTOA highlight to keep national tourism grow?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Setback did not stop growing nationwide support for “Love the Philippines” campaign of DOT

August 15, 2023August 13, 2023carlocarrasco

Not even the embarrassment that hit the Department of Tourism’s (DOT) “Love the Philippines” slogan previously could stop its momentum as support for it nationwide grew, according to a Philippine News Agency (PNA) news article. To say the least, there were hundreds of local government units (LGUs) and other stakeholders that confirmed support for “Love the Philippines” campaign.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA report. Some parts in boldface…

Nearly 900 local government units and stakeholders across the country have so far adopted the “Love the Philippines” campaign, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said Thursday.

In her remarks during the Philippine Tour Operators Association (PHILTOA) general meeting in Alabang, Muntinlupa City, Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco confirmed anew that the country will carry the slogan amid the previous issue with the advertising agency that conceptualized the campaign.

“Love the Philippines is an effort on the part of our national government to remind our fellow Filipinos that there is so much to love about our country. We are only one of the 18 mega biodiverse destinations in the world. We are a treasure trove of heritage, history, culture and the creative arts,” she said.

She said the campaign is a call to action to highlight “that if we love our country, we will herald the best of the best of our destinations”.

“To love the Philippines is to ask the difficult questions, to try to understand what we can do to introduce difficult but helpful solutions to programs and projects that have never been done before, but are being implemented now as our response to global tourism trends,” she said.

Frasco said nearly 900 local government units and stakeholders all over the Philippines “have expressed this deep love for the Philippines” by adopting the slogan in their own local destinations.

She called on stakeholders present to join the movement and “localize” the campaign in their towns.

“We love our country. We all love the Philippines. And it is this deep love for our country that will propel us and give us the daring to say that the Philippines deserves a much more primary position in Asia and the world as a tourism powerhouse,” she said.

The DOT terminated its contract with advertising agency DDB Philippines after discovering that it used stock footage shot abroad in the new tourism campaign video.

The advertising firm publicly apologized, saying it is taking full responsibility for the non-original materials used in the now-deleted video.

The DOT adopted “Love the Philippines” as the country’s new tourism campaign slogan in June, replacing the decade-old “It’s More Fun in the Philippines”.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Are you convinced that the DOT’s “Love the Philippines” campaign will succeed in terms of public awareness, marketing and attracting more tourists (both local and foreign)? Is your local government’s tourism office localizing the new DOT slogan?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Over 3 million foreign tourist arrivals counted by the Philippines (January 1 to July 19)

July 24, 2023July 19, 2023carlocarrasco

Even as the Department of Tourism (DOT) is still recovering from the huge embarrassment about a certain tourism video connected with their Love The Philippines slogan, the nation’s tourism sector is undeniably rising strongly as over 3 million foreign tourist arrivals this year as of July 19, according to a Philippine News Agency (PNA) news article. Take note that the official target for the entire 2023 is 4.8 million foreign tourists and the nation attracted a total of 2.65 million foreign tourists in 2022.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA news article. Some parts in boldface…

The Philippines has recorded more than three million international visitor arrivals seven months into the year, closing in on its target 4.8 million tourists in 2023.

The latest data from the Department of Tourism (DOT) recorded a total of 3,000,079 international visitor arrivals from Jan. 1 to July 19 this year.

The country’s inbound tourism receipts from Jan. 1 to June 30 also climbed to PHP212.4 billion or 502.02 percent higher than the PHP35.6 billion generated from the same period last year.

Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, who is currently on leave, said these post-pandemic figures reflect the sector’s “robust recovery” and the gains of the Marcos administration toward tourism resurgence.

“Tourism provides employment and livelihood to millions of Filipinos. We are grateful for the renewed interest worldwide in the Philippines, which offers a multitude of reasons to love travel across our islands,” she said. “We thank as well our fellow Filipinos who continue to travel domestically, supporting our local communities and families who are all part of the tourism value chain.”

Of the arrivals, 91.36 percent, or 2,740,802 are foreign tourists and the rest are returning overseas Filipinos.

South Korea ranked the highest in the number of arrivals with 741,658 (24.72 percent) followed by the United States with 550,569 (18.35 percent); Australia with 146,062 (4.87 percent); Japan with 143,227 (4.77 percent); and Canada with 132,018 (4.4 percent).

Other top source markets are China with 129,077 visitors (4.3 percent); Taiwan with 104,211 (3.47 percent); United Kingdom with 85,847 (2.86 percent); Singapore with 81,656 (2.72 percent); and Malaysia with 54,411 (1.81 percent).

The DOT earlier said it sought to reach 4.8 million in foreign visitors by the end of 2023.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think the Philippines could possibly attract 6 million foreign tourist arrivals by the end this year considering the latest numbers achieved?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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“Love the Philippines” launched as the nation’s new tourism slogan

July 3, 2023June 28, 2023carlocarrasco

As part of its campaign to become a tourism powerhouse in Asia in the years to the come, the Philippines officially launched their new slogan called “Love the Philippines”, according to a Philippine News Agency (PNA) report. President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr., approved of the ambitious tourism plan covering 2023-2028 and he reiterated his support for Philippine tourism.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA news article. Some parts in boldface…

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Tuesday expressed optimism that the Philippines will become the “tourism powerhouse” of Asia in the next few years.

This, as Marcos witnessed the unveiling of the country’s new tourism slogan “Love the Philippines” during the Department of Tourism’s (DOT) 50th anniversary celebration at The Manila Hotel.

In a keynote speech, Marcos affirmed his commitment to advancing the tourism sector, hoping that the new campaign slogan would help stimulate economic activities and generate job opportunities in the country.

“What a better way to express that love than directly incorporating it into our country’s newest tourism campaign slogan, Love the Philippines. This is new branding which we unveiled today. It will serve as our guidepost for the Philippine Tourism Industry moving forward,” Marcos said.

“Allow me then to express my sincere appreciation to Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco and for the DOT team because aside from the tourist destination, the campaign that you have conceptualized aims to enhance the overall experience of every traveler,” he added.

In May, Marcos approved the National Tourism Development Plan (NTDP) 2023-2028 which will serve as his administration’s blueprint and development framework for the tourism industry.

Marcos said the NTDP 2023-2028 contains the government’s targets, which include the promotion of local products and the implementation of more infrastructure projects to ensure hassle-free travel.

“The five-year plan stemmed from this admin’s determination to implement programs that will positively transform our country towards being a tourism powerhouse in Asia in the coming years. Let us therefore strive to translate out golden vision into reality,” he said.

Marcos lauded the DOT for making the tourism industry as “a major driver of economic growth.”

He also welcomed the “improving” figures in tourism revenues, employment, international arrivals and domestic trips, saying these indicate the country’s recovery from the onslaught of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

“All of these are encouraging signs that the tourism industry in our country as a whole is headed well towards full recovery. It also conveys a strong message to the world that we are ready and fully equipped to welcome tourists, travelers as well as investors,” Marcos said.

To realize his administration’s goal of transforming the Philippines as Asia’s tourism powerhouse, Marcos urged Filipinos to be the country’s tourism ambassadors.

“I enjoin you all to be our country’s promoters, advocates, and if I may borrow a coined term in this age of social media, be our country’s top influencers,” he said.

“Indeed, the Philippines will never run out of places to discover, meals to enjoy, adventures to experience, people to meet, talents to admire. Let us take pride and celebrate the love we have of our country and our people for it is the same love that gave meaning to the establishment of the DOT and the same love that will propel our tourism industry moving forward into the future,” Marcos added.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you foresee a bright economic future with a reinvigorated national tourism industry? Does “Love the Philippines” sound attractive to you?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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National Tourism Development Plan for 2023-2028 approved by Marcos

May 22, 2023May 16, 2023carlocarrasco

In line with the ambition to establish the Philippines as a tourism powerhouse in Asia in the years to come, the National Tourism Development Plan covering the year 2023 until 2028 has been approved by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr., according to a GMA Network news report. Take note that as of May 12, 2023, the Philippines has already counted over two million foreign tourist arrivals.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the GMA news article. Some parts in boldface…

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has approved the National Tourism Development Plan for 2023-2028 which will serve as the blueprint of the Philippines’ tourism industry.

This was announced by Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco at a Palace press briefing following a sectoral meeting with the President on Tuesday morning.

“This NTDP is the result of consultation among the tourism coordinating council as well as our various tourism stakeholders from our regions all over the Philippines. The NTDP shall serve as the blueprint and the development framework for the tourism industry for the duration of the Marcos administration,” she said.

Frasco said this plan focuses on giving the country a chance to become a “tourism powerhouse.”

“These objectives involve not simply the promotion of the Philippines which we will continue domestically and internationally but also, more importantly, addressing the essential issues of tourism development, including the development of infrastructure, connectivity, as well as digitalization, the equalization of tourism, development, and promotion, the enhancement of overall tourism experience as well as the strengthening of tourism governance,” she explained.

Frasco said the plan would also serve as a guide for regions across the Philippines “to spread countrywide development through tourism,” adding that this will also provide jobs to Filipinos.

“Mabibigyan po ng pagkakataon ‘yung ating mga kababayan na magkaroon ng tourism employment sa pamamagitan ng pag-develop natin ng tourism circuits and to continue to push for tourism across our regions and provinces,” she said.

DICT support

Meanwhile, Information and Communications Technology Secretary Ivan John Uy promised that the agency would extend support to DOT on this tourism plan, specifically on connection issues.

He said most tourists are also vloggers who are making content about their experience in tourist spots.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think the Philippines is on its way to becoming an Asian tourism powerhouse in the years ahead? If you own a business that specifically caters to tourists, were able to make significant gains this year?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Over 2 million foreign tourist arrivals in the Philippines counted as of May 12, 2023

May 17, 2023May 17, 2023carlocarrasco

Even though new cases of COVID-19 grew significantly nationwide over the past several weeks, that did not stop the forward momentum for Philippine tourism as the Department of Tourism (DOT) confirmed that foreign tourist arrivals in the country surpassed the 2,000,000 mark as of May 12, 2023, according to a Philippine News Agency (PNA) news article. Take note that that total number of foreign tourist arrivals in the country for the year 2022 was at 2.65 million and it looks likely for the Philippines to exceed that figure before the year ends.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA news article. Some parts in boldface…

The Philippines breached the two million mark in international arrivals for the first five months of 2023, surpassing last year’s baseline target.

The Department of Tourism (DOT) announced the good news over the weekend, citing the latest data of 2,002,304 international visitor arrivals from January 1 to May 12 that exceeded the entire 2022 target of 1.7 million foreign visitors.

“Notwithstanding the challenges and difficulties that our country faced, a pandemic and the various calamities that come into our shores, the good news is that these have done nothing to break the Filipino spirit or to diminish the beauty of the Philippines,” DOT Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco said in a news release.

“We’re very optimistic for the prospects in out country in terms of being a tourism powerhouse in Asia, anchored on the strength of our Filipino culture as well as the values of sustainability, resilience and global competitiveness.”

South Koreans made up almost a quarter of the total number of visitors with 487,502 (24.35 percent); followed by Americans with 352,894 or 17.62 percent; Australians, 102,494 (5.12 percent); Canadians, 98,593 (4.92 percent); Japanese, 97,329 (4.86 percent); Chinese, 75,043; Taiwanese, 62,654; British, 62,291; Singaporeans, 53,359; and Malaysians, 36,789.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think that the Philippines will be able to attract the targeted 4.8 million foreign tourist arrivals by the end of this year?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Philippines tourism gains from influx of South Korean visitors

April 19, 2023April 16, 2023carlocarrasco

Tourism in the Philippines continues to progress in terms of attracting visitors from overseas as tourists from South Korea emerged as the top source of foreign visitors this year, according to a news article published by the Philippine News Agency (PNA).

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA news article. Some parts in boldface…

South Korea is again the Philippines’ top source of foreign visitors so far this year.

Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco bared this on Thursday when she greeted a batch of 300 travelers from South Korea at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport.

The travelers are members of the Korea branch of UNICITY, a direct selling company on health functional foods, cosmetics and household items and with over 60 markets globally.

As a reward to their top agents, sellers, and distributors, UNICITY-Korea sends a big volume of incentive groups to Southeast Asian countries annually.

This year, the company is sending 1,400 people in four batches (April 9, 13, 17, and 21) to Cebu.

Department of Tourism data showed a significant pick up in Korean arrivals since last year, with 428,014 or a 16.13 percent share of the country’s arrivals received between Feb. 10 — when the country eased its borders for leisure travelers — up until Dec. 31, 2022.

“The good news is that as of today, we have over 1.5 million tourist arrivals to the Philippines and our number one top source market are the Koreans. So we’re very grateful to our friends from Korea for continuing to show their love for the Philippines as they have come back in droves, and the UNICITY group in particular, has come with a delegation of no less than 1,400 individuals,” Frasco said.

Upon their arrival, the travelers were welcomed with leis and performances by Filipiniana-clad rondalla serenaders as well as by Sinulog dancers.

Prior to the pandemic, Korea ranked number one in terms of visitor arrivals to the Philippines, with 1,989,322 or 24.08 percent of the country’s total number of arrivals for 2019.

Arrivals from Korea declined drastically during the pandemic, dropping to 338,877 and 6,456, for 2020 and 2021, respectively.

“They’re coming on a daily basis and the numbers are increasing by the day. Last year, they were at number two, because it is the United States that [provided] our number one top source market. But this year, the Koreans have reclaimed the number one spot and we send out the message to all our friends in Korea, that you are more than welcome to keep coming back again and again to Cebu, Bohol, Palawan, and the rest of our beautiful islands in the Philippines,” Frasco said.

PH as ideal MICE destination

Frasco noted that the arrival of a delegation as big as the UNICITY group is a welcome development especially with the DOT “seeing MICE tourism become a very strong product for the Philippines and also for Cebu.”

“They are staying for a few days and we expect that this will contribute greatly to the economy of Cebu in particular, and to the rest of the country in general, considering the multiplier effect of tourism is really so that they will support our local tourism stakeholders, our small and medium enterprises, and the like,” Frasco said.

To further boost the Korean tourism source market and visitor arrivals, the DOT, through its office in Korea, carries out marketing initiatives including an online presentation to educate the MICE (meetings, incentives, conference, exhibitions) players in the Philippines about the Korean MICE market, as well as participation to upcoming key events such as business-to-business fairs, and a MICE roadshow.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think the Philippines will continue to attract even more visitors from South Korea? Do you hope to see some of the South Korean visitors settle here in the Philippines and help build up the national economy by establishing legitimate businesses and creating new jobs?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Department of Tourism (DOT) unveils ambitious plan to establish Philippines as a major tourism player in Asia within five years

March 22, 2023March 17, 2023carlocarrasco

Tourism in the Philippines looks bright right now. Recently, the MUEG Bank Ltd. Of Japan expressed that the tourism sector of the Philippines could double this year with the return of Chinese tourists as the factor. For its part, the Department of Tourism (DOT) announced the scrapping of mask wearing and proof of vaccination as requirements in the nation’s tourism enterprises.

Recently, the DOT announced its ambitious plan to transform the nation into a major player in international tourism (specifically within Asia) in the next five years, according to a Philippine News Agency (PNA) news article.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA news article. Some parts in boldface…

The Philippines targets to become a tourism powerhouse in Asia in the next five years, Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said Wednesday.

At the unveiling of the 2023-2028 National Tourism Development Plan (NTDP) during a tourism stakeholders’ summit in Manila, the Department of Tourism (DOT) vowed to “establish a Philippine tourism industry anchored on Filipino culture, heritage and identity, which aims to be sustainable, resilient and competitive in order to transform the Philippines into a tourism powerhouse in Asia.”

The roadmap identified seven measures to achieve this goal, with improving tourism infrastructure and accessibility as one of the priorities.

“The overall target is the transformation of the tourism industry of the Philippines, which is why we have embarked on the objective of not just focusing on the promotion of tourism but more importantly on the development of industry from the ground up focusing not just on our key destinations, but also on our emerging and lesser known destinations,” Frasco said.

“We can only truly transform the Philippine tourism industry if we address the prevailing challenges that we face continually across our regions,” she added.

On connectivity, Frasco said DOT is working with the Department of Transportation to negotiate more routes for air and sea travel.

Under the NTDP, Frasco said DOT would focus on digitalization; enhancement of the overall tourist experience by incentivizing sustainable travel and improving safety and security in destinations, among others.

The agency would also tap local government units in developing more tourist sites and linking emerging ones to key destinations.

She said the government will increase investments in creating “high-value” tourism experiences and announced the May 2023 launch of the Philippine Experience.

The program, which aims to highlight heritage and culture unique to every region in the country, will be piloted in Davao, Ilocos Region, Bicol and Calabarzon.

The program, she said, would include a three to five-day tour packages allowing tourists to experience both well-known and lesser-known destinations in said regions.

Frasco presented the salient points of the NTDP before the country’s top tourism players. The roadmap was first previewed during the Tourism Coordinating Council (TCC) meeting convened in February and would be submitted to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. for approval within the month.

“This NTDP will serve as a blueprint for the strategies on how the Department of Tourism intends to continue and to grow the impact of tourism upon our economy in the next few years. This will be the guidebook of the industry where we put in place mechanisms for sustainability for many many years to come,” Frasco said.

‘Rosy prospects’ – Frasco noted that, even prior to the finalization of NTDP, the DOT has closely collaborated with tourism stakeholders in carrying out the President’s vision through its various plans and programs, citing the most recent awards and nominations received by the Philippines and its tourism destinations.

The DOT has yet to reveal arrival targets for the next five years but earlier said it seeks to reach 4.8 million in foreign visitors by end of 2023.

This follows the positive momentum set in 2022, which successfully closed with 2.65 million visitors that translates to PHP214 billion or roughly USD4 billion in estimated revenues.

“The momentum for recovery and growth has begun. We’ve eased restrictions. We’ve continued to aggressively promote our destinations through the DOT’s constant and unyielding presence in various exhibits in the Philippines and all over the world. And people are traveling now, and are traveling with a vengeance,” Frasco said.

“By promoting the Philippines through the biggest international tourism and trade fairs across Asia and Europe, we are re-introducing the Philippines to the world, and bringing no less than the best of the best of the country and the Filipino people,” she added

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think the DOT and all the strategic partners will be able to fulfill all the adjustments needed to transform the Philippines into a major tourist destination? What would you suggest to the DOT to make the tourism experience in the country more efficient and more interesting? Do you think it is time for the DOT to start recognizing local conventions or special events (examples: ToyCon, Trans Sport Show) and start encouraging foreign tourists to attend them?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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