DoT backs travel as economy boost

Despite the mandate on her shoulders to redeem and further improve the country’s tourism industry, Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco said she is backing travel agencies that offer tour packages outside the country, as they continue to pay taxes to the government for nation-building.

“The PTAA (Philippine Travel Agencies Association, Inc.) has been nothing short of remarkable in putting together exciting travel and Tour packages for our inbound and outbound tourists, as well as domestic travelers, benefitting our travel agencies, tour operators, local airlines, as well as our small and medium enterprises, hotels, and resorts across the country,” said Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco during her speech at the opening of the 31st PTAA TravelTour Expo 2024 at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City.

For this year, the DoT is eyeing to receive 7.7 million international tourists, surpassing the 2023 record of 5.45 million, reaping international visitor receipts at P482. 54 billion.

The expo’s exhibitors are travel agents that offer outbound travel to neighboring countries, including our rival country when it comes to tourism, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and Taiwan.

“Whether it is inbound travel, which contributes to the international visitor receipts, or domestic travel which contributes to domestic visitor receipts, or outbound travel… I am grateful. Because inbound travel contributes to the economy, while outbound travel, our travelers contribute to travel taxes that we use to all tourism infrastructures we manage to do for the country,” Frasco expressed.

Tourism infra on track

Meanwhile, Frasco said their convergence with the Department of Transportation is robust, making the DoTr, headed by Transportation Secretary Jimmy Bautista, consider the DoT’s wish list on how to improve the country’s air, land and most especially, sea travel benefitting international and domestic tourists.

“In fact, we already saw that our cruise tourism portfolio has already expanded all over the country, as well as the improvement of all our gateways, although it’s a work in progress. But of course, we will continue to make sure that all our tourists are happy and content as they go around our destinations,” she said.

Last year, the Philippine Ports Authority, an attached agency of the DoTr, said cruise terminals are currently in the works in Boracay, Coron, Camiguin, Siargao and Puerto Galera.

To date, only five port terminals welcome international cruise ships and their tourists onboard, namely the Ports of Currimao in Ilocos Norte, Salomague in Ilocos Sur, Manila, El Nido and Tagbilaran.

70 cruise vessels

According to the PPA, they are expecting 70 cruise vessels to visit the country this year, however, they are expecting that more cruise ship companies will make port calls this 2024, surpassing the 160 cruise vessels that docked the Philippine waters in 2023.

Moreover, Frasco said the DoT continues to invite investments in tourism infrastructure, including marine transportation, as the government continues to provide incentives to investors under the auspices of the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority.