Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco announced that she will prioritize farm tourism as it connects agriculture, food, and travel, ensuring that tourism growth reaches rural communities.

“Gastronomy begins with our farms, our fisheries, and the communities that produce the food that defines our national table. Farm tourism reinforces this pillar by strengthening agricultural supply chains, enabling direct sourcing, and ensuring that rural communities are embedded within the tourism value chain,” Secretary Frasco said in her speech during the 9th International Farm Tourism Conference in Baguio City, graced by local and foreign farm operators, tourism champions, policymakers and development partners.

Creation of more livelihood opportunities

The conference, organized by the International School of Sustainable Tourism (ISST) led by its president, Dr. Mina Gabor, turned the spotlight on how farm tourism can create more livelihood opportunities for rural communities and bring travelers closer to the food, culture, and landscapes that define the Filipino countryside.

The conference aims to tackle best practices and chart the sector’s next phase of growth following the launch of the landmark Farm Tourism Strategic Action Plan (FTSAP) 2026–2031, the country’s roadmap for strengthening farm-based tourism nationwide.

FTSAP 2026–2031, developed by the DoT in partnership with the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), aims to strengthen standards, infrastructure, enterprise development, and market integration for farm tourism destinations across the country.

Regaining momentum as a pillar of the economy

Further, Frasco said tourism continues to regain momentum as a pillar of the Philippine economy.

According to the latest World Travel and Tourism Council Economic Impact Report, travel and tourism contributed $91.8 billion to the Philippine economy, equivalent to nearly 20 percent of GDP, and supported more than 11 million jobs nationwide.

“The challenge now is to ensure that this growth is widely shared. Farm tourism allows us to deepen tourism’s impact by embedding rural communities directly within the tourism economy,” she added.

Globally, agritourism is projected to reach USD 197 billion by 2032, driven by travelers seeking authentic food traditions, cultural immersion, and experiences rooted in local communities.

Aligning tourism development with agriculture

To strengthen the sector domestically, the DoT is aligning tourism development with agriculture through several initiatives, including its memorandum of agreement with the DA to coordinate farm-to-market roads, irrigation systems, post-harvest facilities, cold chain logistics, and product development linking farms directly with tourism establishments.

Infrastructure programs are likewise expanding access to rural destinations. Under the Tourism Champions Challenge, the DoT has awarded P255 million in the first cycle and nearly P400 million in the second cycle to local government units implementing transformative tourism projects, many of which strengthen rural and farm-based destinations.