The Department of Tourism (DOT) on Saturday (July 20) expressed optimism about sustaining the gains in Philippine tourism achieved under the Marcos administration, highlighting President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s continued support for the sector.
Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco noted that the President’s prioritization of the industry enabled it to reach record-breaking numbers and notable milestones in 2023, advancing the Philippines towards becoming a tourism powerhouse in Asia.
“We thank our President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. for his continued confidence in the promise of Philippine tourism as a major economic pillar for the country, which is now evident from the milestones the industry was able to attain in 2023 – a banner year for the industry. Tourism contributed an 8.6 percent share to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), marking the highest growth rate in Tourism Direct Gross Value Added in the 24 years of the Philippine Statistics Authority’s (PSA) compilation of this data. Total inbound and domestic visitor receipts totaled Php 3.367 trillion showing a remarkable 75.3% increase from 2022. The President’s leadership and clear vision for the country’s tourism transcendence have guided us in the Department of Tourism to craft and implement innovative programs to elevate the quality of tourism services, expand tourism opportunities nationwide and enhance the tourists’ experience resulting in longer stays and more spending. Together with our partners across government agencies and the private sector, we have worked collaboratively towards the President’s aspiration for the Philippines to take its rightful position in the global tourism stage. Tourism has indeed proven to be a powerful force for good, providing livelihood to 6.21 million Filipinos,” Secretary Frasco said.
Upward tourism growth
Tourism cements its position as one of the most vital contributors to the country’s economy, evinced by its monumental performance for the past year.
As the country breached the US$100 billion mark in exports of goods and services, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported a US$2.45 billion net trade surplus in travel services, a first in 15 years. Tourism investments also saw significant growth, totaling Php 509 billion, reflecting an impressive increase of over 34 percent compared to 2022.
All these, as the Philippines registered 5.45 million international visitors in 2023, exceeding its target of 4.8 million international visitors projected to visit the country for the entire year. Of the total number of international visitor arrivals, 91.80 percent, or the bulk of 5,003,475, are foreigners. The remaining 8.20 percent, or 447,082, are overseas Filipinos.
As of July 19, 2024, the Philippines has received 3,326,354 international visitor arrivals from January 2024. The DOT’s statistical monitoring report also showed that tourism earnings from inbound visitors are pegged at Php 282.17 billion from January 1 to June 30, 2024, or approximately 32.81 percent higher than the Php 212.47 billion revenue from the same period last year.
Sustainable and inclusive Philippine tourism
Under the approved NTDP 2023 to 2028, the DOT has focused on strategies that would build the essential pillars of sustainable tourism development, including the introduction of innovation in tourism services, critical programs in infrastructure and connectivity, as well as continued pursuit of convergences with other national government agencies and local government units.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., together with Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, led the inauguration of the ninth completed Tourist Rest Area (TRA) in the country, located at the President’s home province, Ilocos Norte, on May 17, 2024.
The DOT, in partnership with its infrastructure arm, the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), has launched Tourist Rest Areas (TRAs) in 10 strategic locations nationwide. These facilities, which come fully equipped with clean restrooms and showers, charging stations, information and pasalubong centers showcasing products that support the livelihoods of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), lactation room, and lounge areas, can be freely accessed by tourists as they go around the country.
Secretary Frasco committed to adding at least 22 more TRAs this year, bringing the total number to 32.
President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., (3rd from right) together with Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin (2nd from left), Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco (3rd from left), and Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) COO Mark Lapid (1st from left) led the awarding ceremony of the winning local government units (LGUs) that joined the Department of Tourism’s (DOT) flagship project, Tourism Champions Challenge (TCC), on Monday (Apr. 15) at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC).
To foster inclusive, competitive, and creative tourism growth through national and local collaboration, the DOT also launched the Tourism Champions Challenge (TCC), emphasizing the Local Government Units’ (LGUs) role in the country’s tourism transformation. Fifteen LGUs from Luzon Visayas, and Mindanao received funding support totaling Php 255 million to be used for implementing their innovative tourism infrastructure projects in the program’s culmination last April 15, 2024.
The DOT’s Tourism Roads Infrastructure Program (TRIP), a convergence with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), resulted in the construction of over 338 kilometers of roads leading to emerging and lesser-known destinations in 2023 alone.
The DOT is also continuously coordinating with the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and other critical partners in route development, including improving the country’s gateways and enhancing the utilization of regional gateways such as the Clark International Airport to boost international tourist arrivals, foster regional development, and improve connectivity in tourist destinations.
Enhancing tourist convenience and tourism resilience
To elevate the Philippines’ global competitiveness as a tourism destination, the DOT has also launched several flagship tourism programs, including the first-ever Hop-On, Hop-Off Bus Tours in Makati, Pasay, and Manila, a multi-platform Tourist Assistance Call Center, and the enhanced Travel Philippines mobile application giving tourists digital access to information on all regions in the country.
The DOT has also continually prioritized tourist safety through its Tourist Oriented Police for Community Order and Protection (TOPCOP) partnership program with the Philippine National Police (PNP), successfully training 7,910 officers on the program and expanding the trainings to police auxiliary forces in local government units.
Through initiatives such as the Tourist Oriented Police for Community Order and Protection (TOPCOP), the Department of Tourism (DOT) continues to assure the safety and security in tourist destinations.
The DOT likewise developed the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) Operations Manual in 2023, which seeks to ensure the tourism sector’s resilience against natural disasters by promoting preparedness and safety across tourism sites. It also outlines protocols for coordination between the DOT, LGUs, and tourism-related establishments during disasters. Increasing social protections for tourism frontliners affected by calamities, the DOT partnered with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Department of Social Welfare Development (DSWD) to provide alternative tourism livelihood skills and financial assistance, including those affected by the oil spill in Oriental Mindoro and the flooding in the Davao and CARAGA regions.
Expanding the country’s tourism horizon
As it continues to deliver on its mandate on tourism promotions that is anchored on the “Love the Philippines” enhanced tourism branding campaign, the DOT has looked beyond the country’s already established tourism products such as sun and beach, to highlight as well emerging products and the many facets that make the Philippines a top tourism destination, including the country’s rich mega biodiversity, heritage, culture, history, gastronomy and most importantly, the distinct hospitality and warmth of Filipinos.
In welcoming the new era of Philippine tourism under the Marcos administration, the DOT unveiled the enhanced tourism campaign “Love the Philippines” locally and in key cities abroad.
Highlighting the country’s culture and heritage and diverse regions, the DOT launched the Philippine Experience: Culture, Heritage & Arts Caravans Program across nine regions. The program intends to diversify cultural tourism offerings nationwide, ensure equal opportunities are spread across regions, support heritage and artistic preservation, and instill pride and patriotism among Filipinos by fostering a greater appreciation for the country’s inheritance and legacy.
The Department of Tourism (DOT) successfully launched the Philippine Experience Program: Heritage, Culture, and Arts Caravan in the REGION 4A (CALABARZON), REGION 5 (Bicol), REGION 6 (Western Visayas), REGION 11 (Davao) in 2023, and in REGION 1 (Ilocos Region), REGION 4B (MIMAROPA), REGION 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula), REGION 10 (Northern Mindanao), and REGION 12 (SOCCSKSARGEN) in 2024. More Philippine Experience legs are lined up in the coming months, with each leg showcasing the regions’ enthralling and unforgettable experience that highlights its unique identity.
The DOT, in collaboration with its regional offices and tourism stakeholders, organized various domestic expos, travel fairs, and tourism trade shows including the North Luzon Travel Expo (NLTE), Central Philippines Tourism Expo (CPTEX), and Mindanao Tourism Expo (MTEX), to promote domestic tourism exchange and highlight lesser-known destinations, through business-to-business exchanges and post-expo tours.
The Department of Tourism (DOT) on July 19, 2024 launched the Central Philippines Tourism Expo (CPTEX) 2024 at SM Puerto Princesa City, Palawan. The second edition of CPTEx gathered over 58 booths and more than 40 exhibitors to a three-day showcase from July 19 to 21, 2024, and serves as a collaborative initiative of the regions of MIMAROPA, CALABARZON, Bicol, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, and Eastern Visayas.
In its effort to strengthen the country’s cruise tourism portfolio, the DOT, in partnership with the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Bureau of Immigration (BI), has recently launched the Cruise Visa Waiver (CVW) Program to streamline visa processes and attract more international cruise ships to the country. A product of the DOT’s convergence with the DOJ, BI, and travel and tourism stakeholders who have identified accessibility for cruise tourists as a primary concern.
The Philippines’ allure as a premier cruise tourism destination was further solidified as it won the prestigious Best Ports of Call 2024 award at the 10th Asia Cruise Awards, held during the Asia Cruise Forum in Jeju Island, Korea, on July 10, 2024.
With Secretary Frasco being a certified diver herself, Dive tourism has also seen the expansion of the country’s dive destinations to 120 sites and counting. To strengthen the country’s dive tourism portfolio, the DOT chief has announced that additional hyperbaric chambers for diver safety will be installed in Batangas, Bohol, Boracay, Cebu, Palawan, and Puerto Galera, among others.
The DOT has boosted medical tourism by releasing updated accreditation guidelines for dental clinics and engaging in public-private partnerships with international and local medical institutions, including Agora, St. Luke’s Medical Center, and The Medical City (TMC), to enhance services and attract more medical tourists. This effort will be highlighted by the upcoming hosting of the country’s first international health and wellness summit.
The Department has also taken strides in diversifying the country’s tourism product portfolio and bringing tourism development beyond the already established destinations. To showcase Mindanao’s readiness for tourism, the DOT has led several initiatives in Mindanao holding several inaugural events there such as the building of the very first Tourist Rest Area in Samal, the first Philippine Experience Program in Davao Region and the first MTEX there, to build domestic and international visitors’ confidence in the region and raise awareness of the stable security situation in the area.
The DOT’s commitment to Mindanao was also well established with Secretary Frasco visiting Tawi-Tawi and Sulu, and with Isabela de Basilan winning 1st place for the Mindanao awardees of the Tourism Champions Challenge.
Investing in the country’s best tourism asset: Filipinos
With the vision of positioning the Philippines as the center for global tourism and hospitality, the DOT has strengthened its Filipino Brand of Service Excellence (FBSE) program that seeks to enhance and uplift the quality of tourism services in the country anchored on the distinct Filipino brand of hospitality that is known all over the world.
A total of 212,937 tourism frontliners and stakeholders nationwide have been trained on the FBSE as of July 19, 2024.
Placing the Philippines in the global tourism arena
The DOT has mounted a series of landmark tourism events from 2023 up to the present to increase the Philippines’ prominence in the global tourism industry. The DOT led the largest Philippine delegation to the World Travel Market (WTM), the Internationale Tourismus-Börse (ITB) Berlin this year and participated in the Arabian Travel Market (ATM), Seoul International Travel Fair (SITF), and ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF), among other key travel and tourism events.
The DOT and its marketing promotions arm, the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Philippines, amassed PHP 6.27 billion in sales leads in 2023 alone.
The Philippines successfully hosted the 36th Joint Meeting of the United Nations (UN) Tourism Commission for East Asia and the Pacific and the Commission for South Asia (CAP-CSA) on June 28, 2024 in Cebu. The event, graced by President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. gathered esteemed ministers, vice ministers, heads of delegations from the UN Tourism Member States, Affiliate Members, and international and regional organizations.
The Philippines also successfully hosted the 36th Joint Meeting of the United Nations Tourism Commission for East Asia and the Pacific & the UN Tourism Commission for South Asia (36th CAP-CSA) as well as the First UN Tourism Regional Forum on Gastronomy Tourism for Asia and the Pacific last month in Cebu, following its election as Vice President at the 25th General Assembly of the UNWTO, now known as UN Tourism, and Chairman of the Commission for East Asia and the Pacific, through Secretary Frasco and the DOT’s representation.
Speaking at the opening of the Philippine MICE Conference (MICECon) 2024 on July 11, Anita Mendiratta, Special Advisor to UN Tourism Secretary General Zurab Pololikashvili, conveyed a message of gratitude for the country’s successful hosting of the back-to-back UN Tourism events.
“As Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco showed, the rate of recovery in the Philippines is remarkable. It’s not just in the number of tourists and in the revenue. It’s in the return of jobs, the return of livelihoods, which really is the heartbeat of tourism. Importantly, however, on top of that we have seen especially being here in Clark for this incredibly important event. And that’s why I say gratitude, the way in which the Philippines is leading tourism in the world is exemplary,” the UN Tourism official said.
The country hosted the PATA International Conference on Women in Travel in Bohol, the Philippine International Dive Expo (PHIDEX) 2024, the National Farm Tourism Summit, many firsts, including the Philippine Dive Tourism Dialogue, the Philippine Creative Tourism Congress, the Philippine Golf Tourism Summit, and the Tourism Pride Summit, among others.
In strengthening bilateral tourism ties, the Philippines DOT and the Japanese Government’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism (MLITT) have signed a landmark agreement that is seen to expand opportunities for tourism development between the two countries last November 2023.
Similarly, the Philippines also entered into a landmark agreement with Brunei Darussalam during the State Visit of Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. to Brunei Darussalam, marking a crucial milestone in fostering closer ties and collaboration between the two Southeast Asian countries.
The Philippines and the State of Qatar on April 22, 2024 renewed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to strengthen cooperation, particularly in the aspects of mutual development and growth of tourism and business events, as one of the agreements exchanged during the State Visit of the Qatar Amir HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani to the Philippines.
The DOT and the Philippine tourism industry have also reaped back-to-back global recognitions, further affirming the country’s status as a premier global destination. Most recently, the country has been honored at the 2024 GovMedia Conference & Awards in Singapore which recognizes outstanding government initiatives in Asia. The DOT’s Filipino Brand of Service Excellence (FBSE) Training Program was awarded Tourism Training Program of the Year, and the DOT’s Tourist Rest Area (TRA) program was awarded Tourism Infrastructure Project of the Year.
The DOT also has reaped four major awards at the World Travel Awards (WTA) 2023, held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The Philippines successfully defended its 2022 titles as the World’s Leading Dive Destination and World’s Leading Beach Destination and, for the first time, bagged the World’s Leading City Destination for Manila. The Philippines also received from WTA the Global Tourism Resilience Award, being one of only five countries and destinations in the world to receive the inaugural 2023 WTA citation. The Philippines was also acclaimed Destination of the Year at the 9th TripZilla Excellence Awards 2023.
“Tourism growth for the Philippines in 2023 being the highest ever in recorded history reflects the relentless hard work and unwavering commitment devoted by so many to the phenomenal success of Philippine tourism knowing that millions of lives depend on it. We are immensely grateful for the support of all of our stakeholders, and for all who have continued to travel across our nation reflecting a deep love for the Philippines. The DOT is optimistic of achieving even greater heights for Philippine tourism this year and in the coming years, as we work towards the President’s vision to transform the country into a tourism powerhouse and to provide more opportunities to uplift the lives of our fellow Filipinos,” Secretary Frasco said.
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