President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. approved the National Tourism Development Plan for 2023 to 2028, which will serve as the administration’s blueprint and the development framework for the tourism industry, officials said Tuesday.
“We’re very grateful to our President for articulating very early on in his administration his priority for tourism development, and this has resulted in a convergence among government agencies as far as giving full support to the development of the industry recognizing the losses that have been ensued as a result of the pandemic and various calamities,” Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco said in a press briefing following a meeting with the President in Malacañang with the officials of the Department of Tourism (DOT) and concerned agencies.
“We’re very excited to launch in a few short weeks the Philippine experience which gives our fellow Filipinos an opportunity to experience not just our destinations but also re-introduce them to the heart and soul of the Filipinos through our festivals, our food, and the like,” she added.
Frasco stressed it is just one of the programs of the President aimed at maximizing domestic tourism, boosting the economy, as well opening up the country to international tourists.
Frasco also expressed gratitude to the President for approving the NTDP, saying they are looking forward to instituting all of the tourism programs towards ensuring that Filipinos enjoy gainful employment and livelihood from successful tourism industry, and positioning the Philippines in a primary role in Southeast Asia and the world.
As a result of consultations among the Tourism Coordinating Council, as well as various tourism stakeholders from different regions all over the Philippines, the NTDP laid down the seven DOT objectives that focus on the essential pillars of development which could give the Philippines a fighting chance at becoming a tourism powerhouse.
The NTDP provides a framework to guide the development and implementation of programs, projects, and activities towards a sustainable, innovative, inclusive, and globally competitive tourism industry.
NTDP’s seven strategic goals include improvement of tourism infrastructure and accessibility; cohesive and comprehensive digitalization and connectivity; enhancement of overall tourist experience; equalization of tourism product development and promotion; diversification of the tourism portfolio through multidimensional tourism; maximization of domestic and international tourism; and strengthening tourism governance through close collaborations with national and local stakeholders.
Asked by reporters on the DOT’s focus on how to make the Philippines a tourism powerhouse, Frasco said the department will not only focus on promotions but more importantly, product development to unlock the roadblocks that prevent the Philippines from occupying a more primary role in Southeast Asia.
“Kasali na po diyan iyong pinaka-basic infrastructure, building more quality roads towards our tourism destinations not just in our key destinations but also our lesser known and emerging destinations taking a look at the capacity of these destinations to handle drainage, storage, water treatment and the like since the direction of the Marcos administration is towards sustainable tourism development,” Frasco said.
The DOT will also address connectivity, to make the country at par with its ASEAN neighbors,” Frasco said, adding the Marcos administration has engaged with both international and domestic airlines to resume flights halted during the pandemic, as well as adding more flights not just into Manila but importantly to the different destinations across the country.
Frasco also reported the tourism industry earned no less than P1.74 trillion in 2022 as a composite of domestic visitor seats as well as foreign visitor receipts and also generated at least 5.2 million local jobs.
By 2028, the DOT expects to have an accumulated total of 51.9 million tourist arrivals and 34.7 million tourism-related jobs. (PND)
