A partnership with the Rotary Club of Manila, along with other Rotary Clubs in the country can realize the government's objective of  transforming the Philippines into a tourism powerhouse in Asia.

This was the call made by Tourism Secretary Maria Christina Frasco after presenting the stance of the tourism industry in the country before members and officers of the Rotary Club of Manila during the Club's membership meeting at the Manila Polo Club last Thursday, 31 August 2023.

Frasco reported that the efforts of the DoT, along with the whole-of-government approach ordered by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in implementing the department's projects with an eye to restoring the glory of the tourism industry has resulted as of 30 August 2023 into 3.6 million international arrivals, surpassing the total number of international arrivals last 2022.

The figure is already 75.92 percent of the country's target of 4.8 million tourist arrivals this year.

"Philippine tourism contributed 6.2 percent to our gross domestic product in 2022; it is being hailed by our economic managers as the second growth driver in the first six months of this year," she said.

By the end of 2022, Frasco said the tourism industry has contributed over P1.87 trillion to the Philippine economy as a composite of international and domestic spending, representing a 67 percent recovery since 2019.

"Tourism also contributed over 5.5 million in tourism employment, an 11 percent share of the national employment, and also represents over 93 percent in recovery from 2019 data," she added.

Frasco also said that the rallying of Philippine tourism after the battering it got from the pandemic stands at 66.3 percent, higher than the 54 percent average recovery of ASEAN nations in 2022.

As per tourism receipts, Frasco said the industry has already breached P285.9 billion as of 31 July 2023.

Pillars of Tourism

The Tourism secretary stressed that to give the Philippines a fighting chance at standing shoulder-to-shoulder with its neighbors in the ASEAN region, her department had crafted the National Tourism Development Plan 2023-2028, which does not only focus on the promotion of tourism alone but also in analyzing and understanding the essential pillars of tourism.

Approved by President Marcos Jr. last May 2023, the NTDP provides a framework to guide the development and implementation of programs, projects, and activities towards a sustainable, innovative, inclusive, and globally competitive tourism industry.

NTDP's seven strategic goals include improvement of tourism infrastructure and accessibility; cohesive and comprehensive digitalization and connectivity; enhancement of overall tourist experience; equalization of tourism product development and promotion; diversification of the tourism portfolio through multidimensional tourism; maximization of domestic and international tourism; and strengthening tourism governance through close collaborations with national and local stakeholders.

Putting the Plan into concrete action, the DoT hopes to have an accumulated total of 51.9 million tourist arrivals and 34.7 million tourism-related jobs in the country by 2028.

Frasco said in terms of infrastructure, the DoT has partnered with the Department of Public Works and Highways to improve accessibility in the regions with tourism sites.

"This is by constructing, rehabilitating and adding tourism roads leading to tourist destinations. This year, over 158 kilometers of tourism roads have already been constructed," she said.

Aside from this, Frasco said the DoT has also coordinated with the Department of Transportation in improving connectivity, primarily in the country's gateways for the improvement of flights and tourist journeys.

With this, Frasco said the country is starting to see robust recovery of connectivity in the country, including a 100 percent increase in flights in Clark International Airport; a 614 percent increase in flights in Kalibo International Airport; and over a 300 percent increase in flights in Mactan-Cebu International Airport, among other airports in the country.

Moreover, she said they also partnered with the Department of Information and Communications Technology for the purpose of improving internet connectivity across 94 tourist destinations in the country. Connectivity in 47 of these destinations have already improved, according to Frasco.

e-VISA

Furthermore, Frasco said the DoT has engaged with other government agencies, namely the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Department of Justice, the DICT, and the Bureau of Immigration for the streamlining of the visa application process, aiming to enhance convenience and accessibility for all international travelers, starting with Chinese visitors.

Last 24 August, the DFA implemented the Philippine e-Visa system in Philippine Foreign Service Posts in China.

The Philippine e-Visa will allow foreign nationals entering the country for tourism or business to apply for temporary visitor visas remotely through their personal computers, laptops and mobile devices.

Other initiatives conceptualized by the DoT to improve the tourism experience include the "Hop in Hop Off" project; being part of the "Love the Philippines" tourism slogan; the "Philippine Experience"; facilitating a cultural tourism circuit development focused on heritage, culture, and arts to enhance current tour and domestic circuit offerings, which include Food and Gastronomy, Pilgrimage and Wellness, Living Cultures and Heritage, and an Arts caravan.

In order to equip Filipino tourism workers, the DoT is set on training  100,000 of these workers and capitalize on the world-renowned Filipino hospitality.

"We have already managed to train over 71,000 Filipino workers," Frasco said.

Optimistic

"Frasco said the Marcos administration remains optimistic about tourism recovery and the resurgence of the nation. "Our numbers will indicate that tourism will continue to be a top economic driver that will provide massive employment and livelihood opportunities to Filipinos and our MSMEs," she said.

With the launch of the enhanced "Love the Philippines" branding, Frasco maintained that it would give the country a better opportunity to be reintroduced to the world.