President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Thursday pushed for the promotion of educational tourism between Japan and the Philippines with special focus on the exchange of students and professionals in tourism-related institutions.

The President also invited Japanese students to study English in the Philippines during a roundtable meeting with tourism stakeholders in Tokyo, Japan.

Under his administration, President Marcos said the tourism industry has “shifted its gaze to becoming more than just a promotion arm of the government, but also to ensuring that travel is not only convenient, connected, and equal for travelers, but as well as for locals who are living and preserving our invaluable key and emerging tourist destinations.”

“With this in mind, this government has set the direction to harness the development of tourism in key tourism destinations. Through this, we will make sure that hard and soft infrastructure is well-developed, from roads and bridges to medical facilities, clean water supplies, and readily accessible for tourists and locals alike,” the President said.

In his first State of the Nation Address (SONA), the chief executive identified tourism as one of the top priorities of this administration.

During pre-pandemic times, President Marcos noted that tourism contributed 12.9 percent, or close to 13 percent, of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

“We are banking on this potential to reshape the industry to be one of the key economic drivers of the country. We are well on our way to recovery, this I assure you, with more than 2.65 million foreign visitors we have welcomed last year, that’s exceeding the initial target of 1.7 million,” the President pointed out.

The Philippines and Japan, according to the President, are deeply rooted in “unique appreciation and preservation of our culture, our traditions, and our heritage.”

“Now, this is something we admire and can share with our Japanese friends, whose success in the tourism sector is profoundly etched in one’s cultural identity that has adapted and strengthened over time,” Marcos stressed.

The chief executive also said the country is “open and ready to welcome more Japanese onto our shores.”

As of January 30, Japan ranks sixth among the country’s foreign visitors, noted the President.

“And as a country that recognizes the linkages of our success to that of our neighbors such as Japan, working together in boosting our tourism sector is vital to economic resurgence,” Marcos said. #