Frasco sees seamless ASEAN travel, tourism

Following the turbulence of the corruption maelstrom that dominated much of last year and the start of 2026, the Marcos administration seeks to get back on the fast-growth track by revitalizing the tourism industry.

Tourism chief Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco is not only pushing for improved connectivity and infrastructure but also for tourism products that will keep foreign visitors wanting to return to the country and the region.

“During the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) 2026, we discussed tourism products with our counterparts. Our tourism circuits will revolve around cruise tourism, and we also offer heritage and culture, gastronomy, health and wellness, nature, and adventure,” according to Frasco.

He said the idea of visiting a beach in the Philippines and then having a cultural experience in another ASEAN country presents huge opportunities.

In an interview on the last day of the ATF 2026, held in the Queen City of the South, Frasco said ASEAN would strengthen gastronomy tourism, noting that it also supports local farmers, fisherfolk, and even small businesses.

“We will also elevate what makes the ASEAN distinct. Gastronomy tourism is not only an experience, but it is also identity and livelihood, sustaining farmers, fishers, artisans, and small enterprises, and keeping tourism rooted in culture and community,’’ she said.

Also, Frasco has been advocating for the creation of a regional visa modeled on the Schengen visa in Europe, which would facilitate travel to all of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Timor-Leste with a single travel document.

One region, single visa

The unified visa project was in line with the concept of integration and unity highlighted in this ATF 2026 theme, “Navigating Our Future, Together,” which envisages all member countries working together to stimulate economic growth within the regional bloc.

The ASEAN Secretariat said nations in the bloc welcomed 144 million international visitors last year, an increase of 13.4 percent from 2024, with nearly 48 million from within the region, according to official figures.

Further, ASEAN’s tourism economic contribution remains substantial, as the sector generated close to $400 billion in 2024, or almost 10 percent of the region’s total GDP of almost $4 trillion.

Moreover, the sector of the region contributed millions of jobs, close to 42.5 million workers in 2026, benefitting tourism workers, micro, small and medium enterprises, the youth, and women.

Good marketing strategy

Frasco, being at the helm of the Department of Tourism, was among the leaders who crafted a formidable marketing strategy, a unified approach that would further boost 11 members of the economic community.

“The ASEAN Marketing Strategy clearly propounds the marketing of ASEAN as a unified, high-quality, and single destination. So, no country will be left behind in marketing,” according to the tourism chief.

“Included is ASEAN support for familiarization tours, the use of influencers across destinations, and highly product-specific marketing aimed at attracting defined global segments. Through the respective technical working groups and in coordination with ASEAN centers, this marketing strategy will continue,” she said.

Frasco pertains to one of the outcomes of the momentous 29th Meeting of ASEAN Tourism Ministers, which took place last Thursday.

She said the meeting highlighted the importance of further promoting sustainable, inclusive, resilient, and quality tourism, in line with the ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on Quality Tourism adopted in 2025, and underscored the importance of implementing the ASEAN Tourism Sectoral Plan 2026–2030 (ATSP 2026–2030) and the ASEAN Tourism Marketing Strategy 2026–2030 (ATMS 2026–2030) to guide collective actions, strengthen branding and narrative-building, and enhance regional visibility.

A common goal would be to promote Southeast Asia as a single, seamless, and high-quality tourism destination through data-driven, audience-centered, and digitally enabled regional marketing initiatives.

Strong ties with partners

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations-Plus Three (APT), agreed to scale up joint marketing and promotional efforts to strengthen visibility and competitiveness as an integrated tourism region, following the adoption of the Tourism Cooperation Work Plan (TCWP) 2026 to 2030.

Industry leaders in the region, headed by Frasco as chairperson of the ATF 2026, said they are committed to employing public relations and influencer collaborations to build credibility, expand reach and spotlight emerging Southeast Asian destinations and niche products, including familiarization trips.

The APT comprises China, South Korea and Japan.

In 2025, over 226 million international arrivals were recorded across APT’s countries.

The TCWP serves as a principal guide to enhance APT cooperation over the next four years toward achieving the long-term goal of ASEAN and East Asia’s community to foster connectivity, people-to-people exchange, and shared prosperity.

Sustainability principles in tourism and transport connectivity planning, including green infrastructure and technology initiatives were also in the agenda.

It enhances the readiness of multi-country trails, including culinary, eco, wellness, cruise and self-drive experiences.

Tourism ministers from ASEAN and the Russian Federation also welcomed the adoption of a new tourism cooperation work plan during the 5th Meeting of ASEAN Plus Russian Federation Tourism Ministers, amid a steady recovery in travel flows.

On Friday, the ASEAN-Russian Federation Tourism Cooperation Work Plan was launched, setting the direction for joint tourism initiatives over the next five years, with a focus on strengthening tourism resilience, improving travel facilitation, and advancing sustainable and digital tourism development.

Frasco highlighted that rebuilding confidence remains central to sustaining tourism recovery.

“The lesson of recent years is also clear: for tourism to rebound and truly flourish, confidence in travel must be built through reliability,” the DoT head said.

From the Philippines’ side, Frasco said the DoT continues its efforts in strengthening tourism and cultural ties with the Russian Federation, such as supporting the recently-launched chartered flights from Russia to Kalibo, Russian language training for tour guides, and study-based travel programs.

In 2025, travel flows between ASEAN and the Russian Federation continued to improve, with Russia receiving 54,000 visitors from ASEAN Member States from January to September, while around 2.1 million Russian citizens traveled to ASEAN countries up to the third quarter of the same year.

Subsequently, Frasco also sat down with executives of the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism in its push to build on South Korea’s 15-year record as the country’s top market.

The bilateral meeting with Korea was led by Vice Minister H.E. Kim Dae Hyun, who focused on potential collaborations to expand air connectivity and address pertinent issues affecting tourism.

Frasco highlighted the Department’s continuous efforts to prioritize the safety of tourists and reinforce the Philippines as a safe and reliable destination.

“Considering how much South Koreans have loved the Philippines, and that love is certainly mutual, we do view with grave concern the travel alerts that are given to our tourist destinations, as a result, perhaps of isolated incidents. We express our government’s unequivocal position on prioritizing the safety and welfare of our tourists,” Frasco said.

Also, the DoT met with representatives of the United States-ASEAN Business Council (US-ABC) in a brief interaction, including a short exchange with US-ABC leadership, reaffirming continued engagement between the DoT and the US private sector in support of ASEAN tourism cooperation.

Representing the US-ABC were Chief Country Representative for the Philippines Herminio Bagro III, along with delegates from Marriott International, Airbnb, Expedia Group, Visa, and Royal Caribbean International.

Frasco and United Nations Tourism Executive Director Liu Shijun also discussed plans and recommendations for the country’s forthcoming hosting of the 10th United Nations World Gastronomy Forum.

In line with the Philippines’ chairmanship of the UN Tourism Commission for East Asia and the Pacific (CAP), Frasco and Shijun also tackled the preparations for the 38th UN Tourism CAP and the Commission for South Asia (CSA), which will take place in Iran this year.

In 2024, the Philippines hosted the first UN Tourism Regional Forum on Gastronomy Tourism for Asia and the Pacific in Cebu, where UN Tourism and its Member States adopted the ‘Cebu Call to Action’ on gastronomy tourism as a driver of sustainable development in the region.

Private sector collaboration

With a shared goal of advancing youth tourism education, Frasco discussed potential areas of collaboration with the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), exploring joint initiatives focused on skills development, knowledge exchange, and expanding learning opportunities for the youth.

PATA is a non-profit membership organization promoting a responsible and resilient tourism economy across the Asia-Pacific region through research, networking, and industry partnerships.

In the conclusion of the ATF 2026, Frasco called on member states to pursue a tourism agenda guided by care, quality and cooperation.

Frasco said ATF 2026 marked not an end, but a shared responsibility to carry forward the direction shaped through dialogue and cooperation over the past days.

“Taken together, these are not separate moments. They formed a shared direction. They showed an ASEAN tourism guided by care. Care for people. Culture care. Care for the place. Care for one another. This is where the work done in Cebu connects to the wider ASEAN journey. Courage gives direction. Faith gives endurance. And cooperation sustains progress. As Chair, we recognize what has been accomplished and the responsibility that continues beyond this gathering,” Frasco said.