Asean rivals ink tourism pact

As friendly rivals in the ASEAN Region, the Philippines and Thailand have recently signed a memorandum of agreement (MoA) to strengthen relations, particularly in tourism.

The MoA was sealed between Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco and Thailand Minister of Tourism and Sports Sorawong Thienthong at the DoubleTree Hotel in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, on the sidelines of the ASEAN Tourism Forum.

The initiative follows the longstanding partnership established by the original Agreement on Cooperation on Tourism, signed on 24 March 1993 in Manila.

“For the Philippines, this collaboration provides an exciting opportunity to tap into Thailand’s remarkable success in attracting visitors, particularly in areas such as cultural tourism and medical tourism,” Frasco said.

He added the country can benefit from Thailand’s robust arrival numbers, internationally recognized cultural heritage and world-class medical services, which will undoubtedly enhance tourism offerings,” Frasco said.

“In return, Thailand stands to gain from the Philippine expertise in hospitality, where we have earned a reputation for excellence. Additionally, the Philippines is a premier destination for dive tourism, home to some of the world’s most biodiverse marine ecosystems, and for English language tourism, where our world-class language schools attract students from all over the globe,” the tourism chief added.

For his part, Minister Thienthong expressed his enthusiasm and said they are looking forward to exchanging knowledge and technology with the Philippines.

The program, set to run from 2025 to 2030, aims to enhance bilateral tourism cooperation, promoting mutual growth and development within the tourism sectors of both nations.

Key areas of focus have been outlined to facilitate this collaboration, which includes tourism cooperation, which efforts will be made to strengthen travel facilitation, enhance research and development, and improve tourism management and operations, prioritizing capacity building, training, and joint marketing efforts.

Also, the two countries agreed that the exchange of best practices, which is a core component of the program, will be the exchange of successful strategies in sustainable tourism, cultural heritage tourism, tourism product development, and domestic tourism development.

Further, the MoA also states to work on human resource development that encourages collaboration between tourism-related institutions to share technical materials and conduct training programs aimed at enhancing the skills of tourism professionals.

Joint promotions, marketing

Moreover, the two countries will initiate joint marketing initiatives that will focus on increasing tourist traffic between the two countries, which includes joint promotional packages and familiarization tours for media and travel agents.

Key areas of focus include Tourism Cooperation, the Exchange of Best Practices, Human Resource Development and Joint Tourism Promotions and Marketing.

To ensure successful implementation, a joint working group will be established to oversee coordination and monitor the activities and deliverables of the program.

“The signing of the Implementation Program of the Agreement on Cooperation in Tourism between our two nations underscores our deep cultural, economic and historical connections. As we position ourselves as ‘two countries, one destination,’ we recognize the incredible potential of combining our strengths to offer travelers a truly unforgettable experience,” according to Frasco.