To keep on strengthening the drive of tourism all over the Philippines, the Department of Tourism (DOT) recently unveiled its plans for 2025, according to a Manila Times news report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news report of the Manila Times. Some parts in boldface…
The Department of Tourism (DOT) unveiled its plans for 2025 to propel Philippine tourism to new heights and give travelers more reason to love the Philippines.
“Tourism will be a cornerstone of our nation’s recovery. We embraced the challenge—not just to rebuild but to innovate, not just to promote, but to develop, to transform, to lead,” Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco said at the DOT’s year-end press briefing on Tuesday.
The DOT has formed a partnership with the Department of Health (DOH) to develop Tourist First Aid Facilities and is in talks with key government agencies to establish tourist courts that will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to “resolve tourist-related crimes.”
Tourist First Aid Facilities will be established in tourist-heavy locations such as La Union, Boracay Island in Aklan, Siargao Island in Surigao del Norte, Panglao Island in Bohol, Palawan, and Puerto Galera.
The department will also soon initiate “Layover Tours” as part of the Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tours program, which Frasco said “would make layovers more enjoyable and provide seamless access to our iconic attractions.”
The Philippines Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tours program, which started in 2023, allows solo and group tourists to plan fast, self-guided trips using an advanced bus network and a specific smartphone app.
The DOT also plans to establish the “Golf Experience” initiative, which Frasco described as “geared to enthusiasts motivated to discover the world-class golf destinations.”
It will continue to construct more Tourist Rest Areas across the country, equipped with new features such as rainwater harvesting facilities and solar panels, in addition to basic amenities such as clean and adequate restrooms, a tourism information center, and a pasalubong center.
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think the DOT’s plans for the new year will create positive results for the nation’s tourism industry? Do you think the DOT should recognize special events like car shows, fashion shows, film festivals and cosplay events so that more local and foreign tourists could join them?
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the BusinessWorld news report. Some parts in boldface…
INTERNATIONAL visitors to the Philippines totaled 5.65 million as of Dec. 15, according to the Department of Tourism (DoT), well behind the pace needed to achieve the 7.7 million target for the year.
“South Korea remains our top source market, followed by the US and Japan,” Tourism Secretary Christina G. Frasco said at a briefing on Tuesday.
“To further expand our reach, we have intensified efforts to engage emerging opportunity markets, sharing the unique story of the Filipino and showcasing the rich array of experiences our country has to offer,” Ms. Frasco added.
The mid-December total is equivalent to 73.4% of the target for the year.
The DoT said that South Korea accounted for 1.15 million or 20.3% of the total arrivals, followed by the US with 889,489 or 15.7%, and Japan 367,747 or 6.5%.
Rounding out the top five were China, which sent 306,549 visitors or 5.4%, and Australia with 249,140 or 4.4%.
The other leading sources of visitors were Canada, Taiwan, Singapore, the UK, and Malaysia.
“We have graduated from measuring tourism merely by the number of people arriving, but rather on the more important numbers” like spending, length of stay, and return visits, she added.
Ms. Frasco said tourism receipts as of Dec. 15 amounted to P712 billion, exceeding the P697 billion booked in 2023.
“Tourists are now spending an average of over 11 nights in the country, and over 70% are repeat visitors,” she added.
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think it is still possible for the Philippines to be able to attracted at least 6.5 million international tourists by December 31, 2024? Do you think the Philippines could do better or worse in 2025? What do you think is the one single issue that made it hard for the Philippines to attract more visitors from overseas? Do you think the new law of Value-Added Tax (VAT) refund for foreign tourists will make an impact by the middle of 2025?
Recently the Department of Tourism (DOT) confirmed that as of November 1, 2024, it has recorded 4.8 million international visitor arrivals, according to a Philippine News Agency (PNA) news article. That is around three million short of its 2024 target of 7.7 million.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA news article. Some parts in boldface…
International visitor arrivals to the Philippines reached more than 4.8 million, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said on Friday.
In a statement announcing its attendance at the 2024 World Travel Market (WTM) in London, the DOT said the event would serve as an opportunity to invite more tourists from the European market, especially as it makes up a huge percentage of the foreign visitors to the country.
“The United Kingdom leads as the top European source of visitors, ranking as the Philippines’ ninth-largest source market, with 128,660 arrivals recorded from Jan. 1 to Oct. 31,” it said.
“As the UK outbound travel market rebounds, it presents a valuable opportunity for the Philippines.”
As of Nov. 1, the number of international visitors to the Philippines has reached 4,879,022, less than 3 million away from the DOT’s yearend target of 7.7 million arrivals.
With UK tourists increasingly seeking destinations that offer value for money and experience, the DOT is confident the Philippines’ “diverse landscapes, rich history, and immersive travel experiences” align well with the market’s preferences.
By doing the math, 4,879,022 international tourist arrivals covering the period of January 1 to November 1 (306 days) is equivalent to 15,944.516 per day. Multiply that current average by 366 days for 2024 (a leap year), the total would be 5,835,693 international tourist arrivals which is clearly short of the target.
Of course, it is expected that more visitors from overseas will increase sharply this December as many Filipinos based abroad will be coming home for Christmas and New Year celebrations with families. It remains to be seen how the DOT and its strategic partners will accommodate the anticipated high influx of visitors from overseas. It is recalled that the Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) and China Banking Corp. found the nation’s Philippine tourism recovery still lacking.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this latest development? Do you think the DOT can still hit its 2024 target of 7.7 million international visitor arrivals by the end of December? Do you think news about crime connected with Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) are discouraging foreigners from visiting the Philippines? Do you wish to see the DOT get more involved with special events such as food festivals, entertainment conventions, film festivals, international sports events, car shows and the like?
As part of its pursuit to attract more foreign tourists and generate higher tourism revenue this year (click here and here), the Philippines is targeting tourists from the United States with the perception that they are heavy spending tourists, 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 attract about 15 percent more inbound visitors from the United States, seeing the “highly valuable” market as a big contributor to the full recovery of the country’s tourism sector.
In 2023, at least 903,299 visitors from the US arrived in the Philippines, generating PHP35 billion in tourism revenue— the highest among the country’s top tourist markets.
“This (receipt) is 215 percent higher than the tourism receipts from South Korea, so this is how important the American market (is). While the arrivals are fewer, the contribution is bigger,” Philippine Tourism Director-Attache in New York Francisco Hilario Lardizabal said over the weekend.
Data from the Department of Tourism (DOT) showed that visitor receipts in 2023 reached PHP482.54 billion, with the US as the top spending market, followed by Australia with PHP17.74 billion, South Korea with PHP16.41 billion, Canada with PHP15.85 billion, China with PHP12.24 billion, and Japan with PHP10.02 billion.
In a briefing with visiting Filipino journalists on April 26, the official said the American market tends to spend more and stay longer in a destination.
In the Philippines, Lardizabal said the majority, or 55 percent of inbound travelers from the US are former Filipino citizens, whose main travel motivation is to visit friends and relatives.
“Filipinos from the US do go around the Philippines and stay longer in the Philippines, and mind you, they also spend a lot. Apart from the money they spend on travel, they sometimes also give out money to their relatives,” he shared.
Presenting the country’s planned promotion efforts for the entire year, Lardizabal is confident the Philippines would achieve 15 percent more of the 2023 arrival figure.
Lardizabal said the DOT was taking a multi-pronged approach to entice the market by forging partnerships, conducting more training for travel agents, joining B2B (business-to-business) travel trade events, and organizing curated familiarization tours.
Emerging trends – Before the pandemic, most US travelers to the Philippines were baby boomers, or those in the age bracket of 60 to 78, and Generation X, or those aged 44 to 59.
Citing a 2022 study, the majority of US travelers “showing interest in the Philippines” now are millennials or those born between 1981 and 1996, Lardizabal said.
“Iyon ang dapat natin bigyan ng pansin (That should be our focus), how do we address the needs and preferences of the millennials,” he said.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think the Philippines should do more to attract American tourists?
Recently Muntinlupa City hosted the 2024 edition of the Flavors of NCR food festival at the Filinvest City Central Park in Alabang and I personally witnessed the formal opening ceremony which involved many high-level officials and special guests. A lot of people visited the food festival on April 19 and 20 which added to the credibility of Filinvest City Central Park as a suitable open-air venue for special events.
For the newcomers reading this, Flavors of NCR is a special event presented by the Association of Tourism Officers – NCR which collaborated with the City Government of Muntinlupa for this year’s event. It is a showcase of unique cuisine found in the sixteen cities and one municipality of the National Capital Region (NCR). The local government units (LGUs) that participated include: Caloocan, Las Piñas, Makati, Malabon, Mandaluyong, Manila, Marikina, Muntinlupa, Navotas, Parañaque, Pasay, Pasig, Quezon City, San Juan, Taguig, Valenzuela, and the Municipality of Pateros.
Event launch
The ribbon cutting led by high officials that include Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano (3rd from left), Muntinlupa Mayor Ruffy Biazon (3rd from right) and Department of Tourism-NCR Regional Director Sharlene Zabala-Batin (2nd from left) to name a few.
The opening ceremony of Flavors of NCR 2024 was attended by Muntinlupa City Mayor Ruffy Biazon, Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano, Department of Tourism-NCR Regional Director Sharlene Zabala-Batin, Association of Tourism Officers-NCR headed by Manila City Tourism chief Charlie Dungo, and Pasay City chief of staff Peter Eric Pardo. Also present were Muntinlupa Vice Mayor Temy Simundac and Muntinlupa City Council Raul Corro.
“We are delighted to host the Flavors of NCR,” Mayor Biazon stated during his welcome remarks to all the guests. “(We acknowledge) the presence of other cities here so that their products will be showcased and we are proud to have you here.”
Biazon stressed that hosting the Flavors of NCR opens up opportunities for Metro Manila’s LGUs and their respective food-and-beverage stakeholders access to the Calabarzon region composed of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon with a collective population of over sixteen million people.
It should be noted that the Alabang area of Muntinlupa is a popular destination for Calabarzon residents as well as those from nearby cities who enjoy shopping and recreational activities during the weekend. That being said, Flavors of NCR fits nicely with the weekend vibe at Filinvest City.
After the formal ribbon-cutting was done, Flavors of NCR 2024 officially opened and a lot of people and photographers followed Biazon and the guests visit the different food booths of each city.
Each LGU and their best
I visited and explored the designated areas (also referred to as “booths”) of each LGU during the food festival. Each area had a different style of interiors and layouts of food, drinks and other products being offered to visitors. There were also chairs and tables present for those who need to seat down and eat. Check out my raw YouTube videos plus pictures below…
Native delicacies on display for sale at the Las Piñas City booth.
Burger patties being cooked at the Mandaluyong City area.
Delicious halo-halo from Aling Consuelo Halo-Halo sa Ugbo. This was sold at P100 each.
Marikina City had four sellers that attracted customers during the food festival.
Drinks, dessert and other stuff offered to customers at the Las Piñas City booth.
As expected, the variety of food and drinks were really great. Offered to customers were chicken, beef, pork, siomai, barbeque, puto, bibingka, pansit, siopao, fried chicken, roasted pig, pastries, cakes, halo-halo and ice cream to name some. There were also non-food products being sold such as bags and accessories in some booths.
The Muntinlupa City area.
Sea food and other food items being sold at the Parañaque City booth.
Fried chicken being prepared for customers.
The best of Muntinlupa City offered to customers.
Food and bags for sale inside the booth of Malabon City.
It was really nice to see these small businesses represent their locality and offered their best products to visitors at Filinvest City Central Park. Adding zest to the food festival were some performances by different bands from the cities of NCR. There also was a modern dance activity that drew in lots of visitors which added to the customers at the food festival.
Conclusion
The 2024 edition of Flavors of NCR at Filinvest City Central Park was indeed a nice showcase of what each LGU had to offer for those who love food and drinks. In addition, this festival really emphasized unity between the local governments of NCR and it also promoted local tourism. The festival also attracted some residents of Filinvest City’s residential towers (plus others from Ayala Alabang, Palms Pointe Village and other residential communities) and some employees (who worked at offices near the park) whose shifts ended.
In the perspective of tourism, this event really boosted Filinvest City Central Park’s status as a venue for special events or activities. To date, the said park continues to be an attraction for visitors and already it has been used by organizers of sports events and musical events.
This was taken during Saturday night.
The successful staging of Flavors of NCR could inspire food festival organizers to have their events held within Filinvest City in the future.
Let me end this post by asking you readers: Were you able to attend Flavors of NCR at the central park in Filinvest City? If you did, how was your experience? Do you wish to see another food festival to be held at Filinvest City Central Park soon?
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
As many of you my readers should know by now, I blogged a lot about tourism in the Philippines, what the Department of Tourism (DOT) has been doing and what the nation has achieved with regards to attracting foreign tourists.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Philippine News Agency (PNA) news article of September 28, 2023. Some parts in boldface…
The Philippine government on Thursday vowed to promote inclusive travel in its bid to position the country as an LGBTQI+-friendly destination in the region.
During the first Tourism Pride Summit in Makati City, Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said the Philippines plans to implement programs and initiate government interventions to address the unique challenges that the community faces when traveling.
The summit, she said, is one intervention to spark conversation and give members of the LGBTQIA+ a platform where they can share experiences and suggestions on how the government can make travel enjoyable and safe for them.
“Under the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., he seeks a tourism industry that is inclusive, where no destination and no stakeholder is left behind in the development of our country,” Frasco said.
“That is why in our effort to reach our hand of collaboration to the farthest reaches of our country, we reach out our hand of collaboration as well to the many sectors that are involved in tourism, especially and including the LGBTQIA+ community,” she added.
Frasco noted that LGBTQIA+ tourism presents vast opportunities for growing the Philippine tourism industry portfolio.
Citing data from the United Nations World Tourism Organization, Frasco said there are an estimated 36 million LGBTQIA+ travelers around the world.
“We recognize the strength of capitalizing on LGBTQIA+ tourism considering that it is a USD200 billion industry that’s only slated to grow at half a trillion dollar industry by 2030,” she said.
Obviously the DOT is determined to attract as many LGBTQIA+ foreign tourists as possible as well as their money so that it could help them reach their financial goals and add to the momentum to make the Philippines a major tourist destination by the year 2028.
If ever a huge influx of foreign tourists who identify themselves as homosexuals/transgender/bisexual/transsexual/intersex/non-binary arrive in the Philippines, there is the potential rise of criminal activities involving the acts of the LGBTQIA+ people in the country. Can they behave themselves? Already there is one local LGBT crime that resulted one death. Can you imagine the possibility of more crime happening as more LGBTQIA+ tourists arrived? Can these people really behave themselves?
I am not just talking about sex tourism but also potential violations such as rape, sexual harassment, sexual assault, theft, scams, molestation, kidnapping, murder and other incidents that LGBTQIA+ tourists could commit here in the Philippines as they know they are favored by the DOT. If these specific foreign tourists could add to crime while touring the country, then the “Love the Philippines” slogan of the DOT could end up having a very dirty reputation plus additional embarrassment for the entire nation.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction about the DOT’s drive to make the Philippines a more attractive destination for LGBTQIA+ tourists? Do you think the DOT continues to ignore the potential danger that LGBTQIA+ tourists could unleash on Filipinos while they tour the country? Did you encounter a homosexual foreign tourist who committed a crime or victimized a member of your local community? Does the majority of the youth in your local community express themselves as LGBT-friendly or even as LGBT rights activists?
Do you think that the Democrats in America, the Islamo-Leftists and woke activists could be funding LGBTQIA+ people to come to the Philippines for vacationing as well as executing secretive efforts to establish new activists among Filipinos who will blindly fight for LGBT rights in the country?
In what is clearly another effort to emphasize tourism in the Philippines and encourage stakeholders to be more active, the national government announced the revival of the Philippine Tourism Awards (PTA) which will recognize achievements and achievers in tourism, 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 national government is set to recognize the country’s outstanding travel stakeholders through the revival of the Philippine Tourism Awards (PTA) this year.
The Department of Tourism (DOT) launched the 2024 PTA, which is envisioned to become the “highest and most prestigious citation” in the Philippine tourism sector.
Tourism Secretary Frasco said the PTA will recognize hotels, resorts, destinations, local government units, tourism front-liners, homestays, MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) venues, and other tourism stakeholders who continue to promote sustainable travel and the Filipino brand of service excellence, among others.
“It is important for us to give these awards and recognition because it encourages the continuous increase in quality of tourism services. It fosters excellence in ensuring the services to our tourists as well as encourages healthy competition among our destinations,” she said in an interview during the PTA launch at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay on Friday.
The inaugural PTA will have two major categories this year: the Philippine Tourism Pillar Awards and the Philippine Tourism Industry Awards.
The Philippine Tourism Pillars Awards will be accorded to pioneers and institutions who have made noteworthy contributions to the rise of tourism in the country.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Tourism Industry Awards will be a periodic national recognition program for both the private and public sectors involved in the development and promotion of Philippine tourism.
Application for the Tourism Pillars Awards is until March 8 while submission for the Tourism Industry Awards will be accepted until March 30.
Application is free of charge, the DOT said.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think the tourism industry of the Philippines has more than enough participants and tourism-oriented activities to justify the holding of the PTA? If you are managing a tourism-related business, how important are awards for you?
As far as the chief economists of the Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) and China Banking Corp. are concerned, the recovery of Philippine tourism is still lacking and a lot more needs to be done which includes relying on tourists from China, according to a BusinessWorld news report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the BusinessWorld news report. Some parts in boldface…
THE RECOVERY of the tourism market lags the rest of the region due to infrastructure constraints and the slow rebound of visitor arrivals from China, analysts said.
Michael L. Ricafort, chief economist of Rizal Commercial Banking Corp., said the Philippines’ tourism performance was lagging even before the pandemic.
“There has been a lot of catching up since the pandemic and also even before the pandemic with other ASEAN or Asian neighboring countries,” Mr. Ricafort said in a Viber message.
“This is largely due to infrastructure constraints that limit the capacity of airports and accommodation and MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, & exhibitions) facilities to cater to a much larger number of foreign tourists,” he added.
Mr. Ricafort said upgrades are needed to airports, particularly the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), which will share future traffic to and from the capital with the Bulacan and Sangley airports.
“There is a need as well as for integrated tour packages that will be cheaper and more convenient to attract more foreign tourists,” he said.
“There is also a need for more mass transport systems such as railways that are integrated into major airports to make it more convenient for local and foreign tourists to travel,” he added.
China Banking Corp. Chief Economist Domini S. Velasquez said slow growth can be attributed to geographical constraints and absence of Chinese tourists.
“The Philippines lags behind its other ASEAN neighbors in terms of tourist arrivals, which can be attributed partly to geographical constraints, as the country cannot be accessed by land,” Ms. Velasquez said in a Viber message.
“However, another factor contributing to the below-target numbers, especially during the pandemic, is the absence of Chinese tourists,” she added.
Before the pandemic, China was the country’s second top source of international arrivals after South Korea. However, China only ranked fifth last year.
South Korea remained the top source of international visitors accounting for 26.41%, followed by the US (16.57%), Japan (5.61%), Australia (4.89%), and China (4.84 %).
“The sluggish growth and high unemployment in China have hindered the phenomenon known as “revenge travel,” wherein Chinese tourists typically exhibit strong travel demand. As a result, the expected influx of Chinese tourists has been limited,” Ms. Velasquez said.
Mr. Ricafort said the Philippines has strong potential in further growing the tourism economy with much room to improve in many elements of the product offering.
“The tourism business is low-hanging fruit that can generate more business, employment, and other economic activities as a major source of growth or a bright spot for the economy,” he said.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you agree with the analysts’ findings as to why Philippine tourism is still lacking and what should be done to improve it? Do you think the Department of Tourism (DOT) should focus more on attracting tourists from other nations instead of depending so much on China? What do you think are the five biggest problems of Philippine tourism right now? Do you think the DOT should be more active in promoting local film festivals, fashion shows, sports events and food tours to foreigners?
In the 2024 edition of the ASEAN Tourism Awards held recently in Laos, the Philippines won big as three cities and more than twenty stakeholders won honors, 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…
Three cities and 21 tourism stakeholders from the Philippines have been recognized during the 2024 ASEAN Tourism Standard Awards in Vientiane, Laos.
The awarding ceremony was one of the activities in the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2024 which ran from Jan. 22 to 27, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said in a news release on Wednesday.
The cities of Baguio in Benguet, Ilagan in Isabela, and Tabuk in Kalinga were awarded as the ASEAN Clean Tourist City, the Department of Tourism
According to ASEAN Tourism Standards, these are the areas where the flow of visitors and where cultural, natural and/or man-made attractions exist.
Prime Properties Pearl Farm Beach Resort, Club Paradise Palawan, Bohol Beach Club, Seda Nuvali, and The Forest Lodge at Camp John Hay won the ASEAN Green Hotel Award.
This citation is given to hotel industry players whose operations are based on the achievement of sustainable tourism through environment-friendly principles, human resource development, resource consumption reduction, and local community involvement.
About 15 Philippine venues were given the ASEAN Meeting, Incentive, Convention, Exhibition (MICE) Venue Awards granted to physical spaces with quality facilities and impressive services, designed and provided for MICE activities with purposes for meetings, exhibitions, and events.
The major criteria for the awards encompass the standards of physical aspects, venue management, and people working within venues that competitively meet the requirements of MICE travelers. It is divided into three categories: room, exhibition venue, and event venue category.
Properties Bai Hotel Cebu, Clark Marriott Hotel, Hilton Clark Sun Valley Resort, Princesa Garden Island Resort & Spa, Seda Hotel Nuvali won the meeting room category; World Trade Center Metro Manila (Manila Exposition Complex), SMX Convention Center Manila, Cordillera Convention Hall by Baguio Country Club, Isabela Convention Center (ICON), and Iloilo Convention Center won the exhibition hall category; and Palacio del Sur by Marcian Group, Jpark Island Resort & Waterpark Cebu, Infinity Garden by Baguio Country Club, CAP-John Hay Trade and Cultural Center, Princesa Garden Island Resort and Spa by Modern Asia, Inc. were named as the winners for the event venue category.
Meantime, Palawan-based property Daluyon Beach and Mountain Resort was named as a lead partner for “Enchanting Gastronomical Sabang Delights, Beach Forest and Caves” under the ASEAN Sustainable Tourism Awards.
Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said the winners made not only significant revenue contributions but also employed millions of Filipinos.
“These achievements reflect not only the excellence and dedication that you have put in with the development of tourism but also contribute significantly to the overall advancement and sustainability of the ASEAN tourism industry,” she said.
A total of 192 ASEAN Tourism Standards Awards were given to the member countries.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Are you delighted with the many awards the Philippines won at the ASEAN Tourism Awards? If you are running a local business that benefits from the inflow of tourists, does this development encourage you to move your business deeper into the tourism industry? Do you consider the Philippines more competitive with its Southeast Asian neighbors when it comes to tourism?
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the report of GMA Network. Some parts in boldface…
Due to the performance of various tourism sectors last year, Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco is confident of the Philippines prospects for 2024, as shared in an interview over Super Radyo dzBB on Sunday.
‘“Yung sa international visitor receipt, lumagpas tayo sa ‘P482.5 billion pesos na napunta sa ating ekonomiya because of our foreign visitors… We hope to be able to surpass the P1.5 trillion pesos domestic visitors receipt na napunta sa ating ekonomiya noong 2022”, Franco said.
Tourism-related employment created 5 million jobs nationwide, Frasco said.
For the new year, the tourism secretary said her marching orders from President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos, Jr. is the enhancement of overall tourist experience.
“Gusto natin na masaya ang mga turista. Maramdaman nila ang love, warmth of the Filipino people at tsaka ‘yung convenience sa pag-travel,” said the secretary who hails from Cebu, a major travel destination.
Based on feedback, one concrete step is the construction of 18 tourist rest areas that will provide clean public restrooms.
The DOT head’s confidence is buoyed by the combination of numbers resulting from both international and domestic tourists.
“‘Yung domestic tourism natin has been massively successful especially in our regions, provinces, cities and municipalities across the country”, she said.
In 2023, the DOT announced that 5.45 million international tourists visited the country, exceeding its targets.
For preferred tourist destinations, Frasco said Cebu has always been a favorite as well as Palawan, Boracay, Siargao Metro Manila and Batangas.
On top of the tourism staples, the DOT chief said her agency will also work to promote and develop emerging and lesser known destinations to provide opportunities under the Philippine Experience Program. The approach would be to highlight an area’s heritage, culture and arts as well as the discovery of delicacies, festivals and communities.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think the DOT will be able to motivate people around the country to engage in domestic tourism and spend a good amount of money on accommodations, travel, restaurants, gifts and the like? Do you think the DOT should cooperate more with local government units (LGUs) as well as provincial governments to emphasize local tourism?
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
Author Carlo Carrasco 