PBBM cites tourism as top-priority; orders infra development, enhancement of Filipino brand
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Monday (July 25) emphasized the pivotal role of tourism as he bared his directions for the industry during the early part of his first State of the Nation Address (SONA).
Citing his plans for the country’s tourism in the first few minutes of his SONA, just right after expounding on the economy and agriculture, the President expressed optimism for the sector noting that “Tourism is not only an important economic development tool but the abundance of opportunities that the sector creates in terms of regular employment and even job creation at the grassroots level is undeniable.”
Basic improvements to roads, airports
To boost the country’s tourism industry, President Marcos Jr. has directed the Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to jointly implement a program that would introduce basic infrastructure developments that will increase the convenience of travelers when going around the Philippines.
“To boost our tourism industry, we will first and foremost make basic developments such as road improvements for easier access to tourism spots. We will also upgrade our airports and create more international airports to help decongest the bottleneck at the Manila International Airport,” President Marcos said.
These improvements, the President said, will be brought to remote areas to help promote undiscovered tourist spots in the country.
Enhanced ‘Filipino’ brand in tourism
In terms of promoting the country’s tourism, President Marcos expressed the need to bank on an enhanced Filipino brand.
“They say, each brand has a story. As for the Filipino brand, ours is deeply rooted in our rich cultural heritage and the tourism sector plays an invaluable role in the promotion of the Filipino brand,” President Marcos Jr. said as he opened his address on tourism.
“To foster the Filipino brand is to spark our sense of pride and reaffirm our strong sense of identity. It is time to welcome the rest of the world with an enhanced Filipino brand that is unique, attractive, and creative,” he explained.
Transforming The Philippines into a Tourism Powerhouse
DOT Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco expressed her gratitude towards President Marcos for his mention of tourism as one of the core programs for the economic development of the country under his term, and has accepted the challenge to elevate the industry to become a powerhouse in Asia and in the world.
“With no less than The President of the Philippines rallying for the recovery of the Philippines’ tourism industry, together, the national government, the local government units, the private stakeholders, the industry players, and most importantly, the Filipino people that drives this industry forward amid various challenges- we will propel the Philippines to exceed its current global standing and tourist arrival numbers, and transform it into a tourism powerhouse in Asia,” Secretary Frasco remarked.
The Secretary likewise conformed with the President’s assertion as regards the undeniable strength, resilience and creativity of the Filipino that are truly world-class.
“Indeed, the Filipino identity and strength of spirit is unlike any other in the world. With the President’s vision, we hope to be able to not only reclaim our standing in the global stage but to exceed it as that is the birthright of every Filipino,” she enthused.
The DOT chief had earlier announced the priorities of the Department, echoing the President’s directives such as the improvement of tourism infrastructure and accessibility; enhancement of overall tourist experience through connectivity, convenience, equality of promotion and development of tourist destinations across the country; and uplifting the quality of products and services to reflect a distinct Filipino brand.
“The President’s pronouncements will bring much needed hope to all of the tourism stakeholders that have suffered gravely because of the pandemic and various calamities. I’m very happy to note that the President’s vision is very clear as far as setting a strong foundation for the tourism industry by strengthening tourism infrastructure and gateway access, as well as giving equal opportunities to tourist destinations across the country,” the tourism chief enthused.
To fulfill the President’s directives for the industry, Secretary Frasco vowed to continue the multi-dimensional and shared tourism governance approach in implementing the DOT’s plans and programs, sharing the importance of involving stakeholders–particularly those at the local level–in coming up with effective strategies to address industry barriers.
In the first month of her role as the head of the DOT, Secretary Frasco has successfully launched her “listening tours” across the country, initiating meetings with the various regional offices and attached agencies of the Department across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, as well as public and private sector stakeholders in order to better connect and understand the needs and concerns of the industry, and come up with workable solutions in the short, medium, and long term, towards the objective of strengthening the foundation for the industry and enhancing the overall tourist experience.
Boracay, Palawan and Cebu hailed World’s Best Islands; DOT celebrates back-to-back accolades for PHL destinations
The Department of Tourism (DOT) applauded the naming of the country’s three island destinations among “The 25 Best Islands in the World” of the New York-based travel magazine Travel + Leisure (T+L).
Boracay Island featuring its postcard perfect sunset ranked 9th in the T+L World’s Best Island list, followed by the Palawan at 11th with a photo of an idyllic lagoon in El Nido, and Cebu at 16th with Taoist Temple, in Cebu City. According to T+L, readers were asked to “weigh in on travel experiences around the globe — to share their opinions on the top cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more. Readers rated islands according to their activities and sights, natural attractions and beaches, food, friendliness, and overall value.”
“The Philippines is truly blessed with the unrivaled beauty of our natural resources coupled by the warmth and endless talent of the Filipinos manifested in this citation of Travel + Leisure that included our Cebu, Palawan, and Boracay in their prestigious list,” Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco said.
Boracay and Palawan also topped T+L’s 5 Best Islands in Asia alongside Phuket, Thailand, Bali, Indonesia, and The Maldives. “Travel + Leisure readers fondly recalled pre-COVID-era visits to the best islands in Asia. Now that the region is reopening, they’re surely eager to return to these five ports of call, including the islands of the Maldives, as well as those found in Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines,” stated T + L.
“We express our heartfelt gratitude and congratulations to all tourism stakeholders from the public and private sector, the national and local government units, the efforts of the previous administration included, and all the hardworking employees and officials of the Department across the country for forging forward amidst the challenges of the pandemic and contributing in their own ways so our country may earn the title as one of the most beautiful in the world. The natural beauty of a country can truly shine through when we are united in heralding our best qualities,” Frasco added.
Philippines among the 40 Most Beautiful Countries in the World
The Philippines concurrently was named among “The 40 Most Beautiful Countries in the World” by lifestyle travel magazine Condé Nast Traveler (CNT).
The country is accompanied in the list by other countries such as Brazil, France, Italy, Japan, and United States of America, among others.
Manila among top cities in the World
Meanwhile, TimeOut.com also ranked Manila among the top cities in the world. The ranking comes as a result of a survey among city-dwellers worldwide. The choice is a result of several criteria that include aspects like walkability, good public transport, safety, and sustainability other than a thriving nightlife, amazing food and drink, and art and culture. It should be noted, nonetheless, that Manila is usually in reference to Metro Manila or the Philippines’ National Capital Region.
“May this global recognition of the beauty of our natural resources inspire our efforts to raise the Philippines’ standing in the tourism industry by introducing tourism infrastructure development and improvements that would enhance connectivity and convenience in reaching our destinations,” enthused Secretary Frasco.
The demand for domestic tourism soared in 2021 amid the pandemic, this is according to the data from the Department of Tourism (DOT).
The DOT and the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) bared encouraging industry figures in the 2021 Philippine Tourism Satellite Accounts (PTSA) and Tourism Statistics Online Dissemination forum held Tuesday (June 28).
According to the PTSA report, domestic tourism recorded a surge tallying 37,279,282 trips in 2021, a 38.16% growth compared to the 26,982,233 trips in 2020.
The National Capital Region (1,973,851), followed by CALABARZON (1,953,419), and Central Luzon (1,905,758) were the top overnight destinations for local tourists last year.
“The DOT attributes the resurgence of domestic tourism to the collaborative efforts of the national and local government units to standardize health and safety protocols, reinforced by the active participation of tourism stakeholders from the private sector. This, and the Department’s aggressive campaign on domestic tourism carried out with our regional offices, and with the help of local tourism offices across the country, restored Filipinos’ confidence to travel,” explained DOT Branding and Marketing Communications Assistant Secretary Howard Lance Uyking.
To recall, the DOT and the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Philippines spearheaded the “It’s More Fun With You” campaign to encourage Filipinos to travel during the recovery stages of the pandemic. The campaign was heavy on digital promotions, featuring virtual tours, in-depth websites, co-branding initiatives with the private sector, and generating awareness in new platforms.
Meanwhile, based on the same report, tourism industries employed about 4.9 million individuals in 2021, 4.6 percent higher than the 4.7 million employed in 2020. Tourism contributed 11.1 percent to the total employment of the country.
During the forum, the DOT noted the decline in foreign visitor arrivals as Philippine borders remain closed last year. The country recorded a total of 163,879 visitors from January to December 2021, a decline of 88.95% from 2020 arrivals of 1,482,535.
USA dominated the top visitor markets of the country with 39,326 arrivals. Japan, which ranked fourth in 2020, claimed the second spot with 15,024 arrivals. China followed in third place with 9,674 arrivals. An opportunity market before, India (7,202) rose to fourth place with Canada (6,781) at the fifth spot while Korea, the country’s top source market for many years, fell to 6th place with 6,456 arrivals.
Turkey and the United Kingdom ranked 7th and 8th respectively, with each contributing more than 4,000 arrivals. Completing the top 10 markets are Middle East countries United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia with more than 2,000 arrivals each.
“PTSA reports have been a critical tool in helping the DOT develop the tourism sector as a significant socio-economic activity, generate foreign exchange, employment, and information dissemination on the importance and benefit of the tourism sector for both private and public sectors,” DOT OIC-Secretary Edwin Enrile said during his opening remarks at the forum.
“Armed with this data and information, the DOT can further improve and refine its current plans and programs, learn from its weaknesses, and pinpoint where our strengths and opportunities lie amidst the pandemic,” OIC-Secretary Enrile added.
Manila, as the country’s main gateway through the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, maintained the lion’s share of the total air arrivals with 142,448 or 86.92%. This is followed by the Mactan-Cebu International Airport which received a total of 11,119 visitors (6.78%), and the Clark International Airport with 9,964 (6.08%) arrivals.
Visitor spending or tourist receipts generated in 2021 recorded an estimated PhP 8.49 Billion, a decrease of 89.67% from the visitor receipts of PhP 82.24 Billion recorded in the same period of the previous year.
In average, a tourist apparently spent around PhP 7,000 a day in the Philippines and stayed for an average of 10.58 nights.
“We continue to do this (online dissemination forum) because we recognize the considerable contribution of tourism to the Philippine economy and its role and importance in creating opportunities and in generating employment for our kababayans”, National Statistician Claire Dennis Mapa cited in his keynote message.
Tourists mostly visited the Philippines for holiday/leisure with a total of 15.99% purpose of visit followed by business trips (8.11%) and incentive travel (2.66%).
The average age of tourists that comes to the Philippines is 39 years old, majority of whom are male travelers registering at about 59.25%, significantly edging female travelers at 40.49%.
Meanwhile, according to the Survey on occupancy rates of Hotels in 2021, Metro Manila recorded an average hotel occupancy rate of 60.97%.
In the forum hosted by Dr. Maria Cherry Lyn Rodolfo, DOT OIC-Director Warner Andrada presented the 2021 Tourism Industry Performance, while Assistant National Statistician Vivian Ilarina talked about the 2021 PTSA and Dr. Carlos Dela Reyna Jr. of the Bureau of Quarantine (BoQ) discussed the relevance of the One Health Pass (OHP). Meanwhile, DOT Undersecretary Woodrow Maquiling Jr. delivered the closing remarks at the forum.
The Tourism Satellite Account is a standard statistical framework and the main tool for the economic measurement of tourism, developed by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), among other statistical organizations, which allows the measurement of the contribution of tourism industries to Philippine economy.
The Department of Tourism (DOT) recently launched “Future Farms”, a digital campaign to promote farm tourism, one of the sector’s promising gems, and to offer pandemic-weary travelers refreshing environment and new experiences.
“Future Farms” is the fruit of the government agency’s efforts to redevelop tourism products and seek out new types of destinations and activities for travelers in the new normal.
Since 2018, the DOT has been strengthening the development and promotion of farm tourism as a major tourism product. It supports stakeholders in innovating and diversifying farm sites around the country to include recreational and leisure activities for tourists in addition to food and wellness.
This innovation allows farm owners to maximize the potential of their property, employ more people, and give tourists more destinations to discover and agri-tourism products to enjoy.
The Farm Tourism campaign introduces a series of videos of must-see farms possessing unique characteristics of a ‘’future farm” — innovative, scenic, product-centric, and machine-oriented. The farms to be featured are located all over the Philippines and include sites such as Diaspora Farm and Resort in Bacolor, Pampanga, Amancio Nicolas Agri-Tourism Academy in Cordon, Isabela, Yamang Bukid in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, Orchard Valley Farm in Pavia, Iloilo, Vita Isola Leisure Farm in Loon, Bohol, Damires Hills Tierra Verde in Janiuay, Iloilo, Taglucop Strawberry Hills in Kitaotao, Bukidnon, Agriya Farm in Panabo City, Davao del Norte, and JB Nature Farm & Resort in Sukailang, Surigao City.
The DOT said its farm tourism campaign “will definitely awaken the farmer in you as you explore the unique and fascinating farms in the country.” The Future Farms video series can be viewed at the “Tourism Philippines” YouTube channel.
Visit philippines.travel/futurefarms for more information on DOT’s Farm Tourism partner destinations.
Most travellers to these sunny shores squeeze themselves into tourist hotspots like Boracay and El Nido; but if you really want to get away from it all, we called on a Philippines expert to compile a list of beautiful alternative beaches for you to lay your towel down — the best beaches in the Philippines for travellers seeking off-the-beaten-track experiences.
Less development and more remote locations make these more eco-friendly choices – ideal for seeing the Philippines in all its natural splendour. Some require a little pre-planning and a lot of time to get to, but we promise these best beaches in the Philippines are more than worth the journey.
If you’re looking for experiences beyond the beach, discover the best islands in the Philippines for differerent kinds of travellers. In the meantime, dive into this overview of beautiful undiscovered Philippines beaches that’ll see you exploring far beyond Manila beaches.
1. Cresta de Gallo, Romblon
If going off-grid is your ultimate goal, make a beeline for Cresta de Gallo. This tiny island is only accessible via private boat from Sibuyan – a one hour trip that caps off a long series of plane, ferry and jeepney rides. Those willing to endure this trek are rewarded with one of the most secluded slices of paradise in the Visayas region.
The island’s name translates to “rooster’s crest”, inspired by its novel shoreline. On its northernmost tip, a beautiful white sandbar juts out like a seaside runway, surrounded by crystalline ocean that sparkles for miles over the horizon.
There are no hotels here, so unless you want to travel to and from Sibuyan, you’ll need to make use of the campsite facilities. However, with views like this, even the most precious of travellers may be tempted to rough it. If you’re lucky, you’ll get the whole island to yourself.
The Philippines Department of Tourism (PDOT) London Team celebrates with the Filipino-British community at the 13th Barrio Fiesta in Lancing Beach Green, West Sussex on August 6 & 7, 2022.
Visit our tourism booth and find out why “it’s more fun in the Philippines!”
Club Paradise Palawan Wins 2nd in Top 100 Green Destinations in the World
Club Paradise Palawan, a magnificent resort dotted along the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, propels to nurture nature as it receives 2nd place at the 2022 Green Destination Story Awards. This is the second time the resort, managed by Filipino homegrown brand Discovery Hospitality Corporation, has gained recognition from the international organization.
Recently held at the largest international travel trade fair, ITB (Internationale Tourismus Börse) Berlin, is the 2022 Green Destinations Story Awards. The online ceremony celebrated the most outstanding Good Practice Stories of the Green Destinations 2021 Top 100 list.
Under the Environment and Climate category, six destinations were chosen as finalists by the jury at Green Destinations. These include Gocta – Kuelap Amazonas in Peru, Club Paradise Palawan in the Philippines, Tartu in Estonia, Tibau do Sul in Brazile, Margaret River in Australia, and Terres de L’ebre in Spain. Club Paradise Palawan, the only Philippine property in the Green Destinations Top 100 list, received 2nd place, with Margaret River taking 3rd and Terres de L’ebre taking 1st.
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