The Department of Tourism is set to revitalize Sulu’s image despite its past reputation as one of the world’s most dangerous tourist destinations.

Located in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), Sulu has long been the subject of travel advisories due to terrorist activities by groups like the Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiyah.

Tourism Secretary Maria Christina Garcia Frasco, however, asserts that the situation has dramatically improved. She highlights Sulu’s diverse tourist attractions, rich culture and tradition, and the warmth of its people, all of which promise an unforgettable experience for both domestic and international visitors.

“Sulu was an exhilarating, enlightening, and exciting experience because they had harbored the notion of inaccessibility and danger all this time. And that has been formed in the minds of many,” said Frasco during a round-table discussion with DAILY TRIBUNE editors on Wednesday.

“Sulu has kilometric white sand coastlines and a strong sense of culture and heritage. They are very proud of their Islamic influences and that makes you proud to be a Filipino. You are given a view of our pre-colonial history which is very well-preserved in their everyday life — from what they wear to their songs, down to their tombstones, which is amazing,” she stressed.

Frasco said security has improved in Sulu, as confirmed by the Department of National Defense and the Philippine National Police.

The Tourism chief noted that aside from its long coastlines and crystal-clear waters, Sulu has perfect dive sites that foreign divers would love.

Commercial flights

Frasco said commercial flights will soon be available to Sulu.

“I am returning to Sulu to dive this September because their dive industry is yet to be discovered. That’s also been the department’s effort. We have increased the number of dive destinations to 120,” she said.

With the help of the country’s regulator of scuba diving sports, Frasco said they will personally dive in Sulu diving spots to see if they could include the province as a premier dive spot.

Regarding commercial accommodations, the DoT is actively working to develop hostels.

Currently, the available lodging primarily consists of homestays, which the DoT supports through its “Mabuhay Accommodations” program. This program ensures that these accommodations meet specific standards, similar to the initiatives being implemented in the Kalayaan Group of Islands.

“We are looking forward to commercial flights because as I know, there are planned commercial flights to Sulu,” she said.

During the Mindanao Tourism Expo last April, Frasco maintained that it is in Mindanao where tourists will find countless breathtaking landscapes, delectable and unique cuisines, a richness of culture, and, most of all, the essence of the nation’s greatest asset — love, care, and unparalleled hospitality of the Mindanao inhabitants.

“Mindanao, without a doubt, stands as a beacon of national pride for the Philippines — a testament to the beauty and resilience of our country,” Frasco said.

Other Mindanao provinces that are being transformed by the DoT into premiere tourist destinations are Zamboanga, South Cotabato and even Basilan.

Mindanao is top priority

Frasco said the first thing she saw as a priority upon her assumption to office at the DoT was the full opening, promotion, and development of Mindanao.

Developing Mindanao as a tourism powerhouse is part of the National Tourism Development Plan 2023-2028 of the Marcos administration, which Frasco said encouraged her to strive harder in terms of prioritizing the tourism sector, her main mandate.

“We have a President who recognizes the enormous power of tourism to unite and uplift the lives of our fellow Filipinos. That is why he has engaged entirely to support the Philippine tourism industry and we are seeing this in the numbers, especially visitor receipts,” she said.

Moreover, Frasco said they are encouraging the Philippine Statistics Authority to include the entire value chain of the tourism industry, not just the frontline workers in the hotels and resorts, among others, that will improve the country’s tourism receipts in terms of numbers.

“Sellers and makers of pasalubong (souvenir) items, even the farmers that produce the food served in hotels, should be included in the numbers. Foreign tourist arrivals should not be the benchmark but the revenue they pour into our GDP, which is being produced by those that are not being counted by the PSA,” she said.

Tourism receipts reach P282B

Tourism receipts from inbound visitors reached ₱282.17 billion from 1 January to 30 June, marking a 32.81-percent increase from the ₱212.47 billion earned during the same period last year.

Foreign tourist arrivals have breached the 3.5-million mark, with more than two million of them foreigners, while the rest were overseas Filipinos.

Frasco said South Korea remains the Philippines’ top source of foreign arrivals, followed by the United States, China, Japan and Australia.