DoT chief: Resilient tourism growth pledged

The government is committed to building a sustainable, inclusive and resilient tourism industry, Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco said in her address to stakeholders during the recent Philippine Sustainability Now Forum 2025

Organized by the Italian Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines (ICCPI), the forum gathered leaders from business, government and civil society to champion environmentally conscious strategies and long-term development solutions.

“Today, we gather in the spirit of shared responsibility and bold ambition to build a future that is not only prosperous but also resilient, inclusive, and deeply rooted in sustainability. The Philippines Sustainability Now Forum is more than just a venue for dialogue; it is a call to action,” the Department of Tourism chief said in her keynote address.

“The cause must and should graduate from mere policy to actual practice across our destinations. Sustainability should not be a mere preference. It should be a mandate. And this is something that we feel very strongly about in the Department of Tourism — so much so that in crafting the National Tourism Development Plan under the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., sustainable tourism development underpins all of our programs,” she indicated.

Transformational agenda

Frasco presented the Department’s transformational tourism agenda, built on the pillars of infrastructure, connectivity, product diversification, and heritage-centered promotion.

She also highlighted the government’s investments in airports, tourism roads, and flood resilience through partnerships with the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority.

To enhance visitor comfort and improve tourism quality, Secretary Frasco shared updates on the DoT’s rollout of 100 Tourist Rest Areas (TRAs) nationwide, which now feature solar power and rainwater harvesting systems.

From an initial 10 launched since 2023, the TRAs are on track to reach 100, benefiting travelers across Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

Also at the heart of these efforts is the Tourism Champions Challenge, a flagship program awarding over P250 million in grants to 15 local government units for infrastructure projects that meet the criteria of sustainability, inclusivity and resilience.