Tourism Secretary Dita Angara-Mathay on Monday urged industry stakeholders to focus less on tourism statistics and more on the quality of visitor experiences, saying memorable encounters—not arrival figures—ultimately determine whether travelers return and recommend destinations to others.

Speaking at the launch of the 12th Virtus Awards of the Hotel Sales and Marketing Association (HSMA), Angara-Mathay cautioned against reducing tourism performance to a set of economic indicators.

“Lately, there has been too much talk about tourism in numbers—visitor arrivals, occupancy rates, tourism receipts. But let me tell you, ordinary tourists do not remember statistics. They remember moments,” she said.

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed that tourism generated P2.27 trillion in direct economic value in 2025, equivalent to 8.1 percent of the country's gross domestic product. The sector also supported 7.7 million jobs, accounting for 15.7 percent of total employment nationwide.

Visitor arrivals, hotel occupancy rates and tourism receipts remain among the government's most closely watched measures of industry performance. But while those figures provide a snapshot of growth, Angara-Mathay said they do not fully capture what shapes a tourist's perception of a destination.

“The tourism experience is shaped at every point—at arrival, at check-in, in conversations, in recommendations, and in the smallest gestures of care,” she said.

According to Angara-Mathay, the country's reputation for hospitality must be anchored not only on warmth and friendliness but also on professionalism and reliability.

“Hospitality is not only about friendliness. It is also about confidence—to be ready with information when the tourist needs it, to be ready to respond to concerns, to solve problems quickly, efficiently and professionally,” she said.

Angara-Mathay delivered the remarks before hotel executives and tourism professionals gathered for the launch of the annual Virtus Awards, which recognizes outstanding individuals and organizations in the hospitality industry.

She credited HSMA for helping elevate professional standards and for recognizing workers whose contributions often shape visitors' impressions of the country.

“For 12 years, the awards have honored individuals who quietly but consistently raised the standard of the industry,” she said.

The tourism chief also disclosed that the DOT would soon roll out a national domestic tourism campaign in partnership with more than 50 HSMA-member hotels offering special accommodation packages and bundled travel experiences.

The initiative is expected to boost local travel spending while helping tourism businesses tap a growing domestic market, which has become an important source of demand for hotels and destinations in recent years.

As the government and private sector pursue higher visitor numbers and revenues, Angara-Mathay said the industry's long-term competitiveness will depend on more than statistical gains.

“Ordinary tourists do not remember statistics. They remember moments,” she said.