Philippine tourism leads economic growth with recordrecovery and global expansion

The Kapihan sa Manila Hotel today featured Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco who showcased the remarkable progress in Philippine tourism, highlighting its significant role in the country’s economy.

In discussing the Department of Tourism’s (DOT) recent achievements and future plans to strengthen the Philippines as a premier global destination, Sec. Frasco detailed her department’s strategic efforts and infrastructure development to enhance tourism experiences and promote the country’s rich cultural heritage.

She also introduced the National Tourism Development Plan for 2023-2028 to address key areas such as connectivity and digitalization.

“Tourism has always been a priority for this administration,” she said. “We rallied government agencies and private stakeholders to address the challenges faced by the industry, particularly post-pandemic. Our focus on improving infrastructure, enhancing tourism experiences, and promoting our rich cultural heritage has positioned the Philippines as a top destination globally.

Kapihan host Atty. Joey Lina, a former senator and now president of The Manila Hotel, highlighted the DOT’s milestones in Southeast Asia and the significant contribution of tourism to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). He said that under the leadership of Secretary Frasco, the Philippines has emerged as a leading player in the regional tourism sector, surpassing its Southeast Asian counterparts with a contribution of approximately Php4.31 trillion (US$78 billion) to the national GDP.

Secretary Frasco said the sector’s resilience is highlighted by a 111% recovery in visitor receipts, surpassing pre-pandemic levels. She explained that domestic and international visitor receipts amounted to over Php3.36 trillion, generating substantial revenue for businesses, supporting livelihoods, and creating tourism-related jobs. In 2023, she added, the tourism industry provided employment for around 6.21 million Filipinos, accounting for 6.4% of the total employment increase as compared to 2022.

She said the DOT engaged with NEDA and PSA to expand the count on tourism employment based on the entire tourism value chain. “Ang daming nagkakaroon ng trabaho dahil sa turismo, not necessarily by way of a formal contractual agreement with hotels and accommodations, pero kasali na din doon ang ating mga transport operators, pasalubong makers, suppliers ng mga goods sa ating mga accommodation establishments,” Sec. Frasco explained. “This contributed to 16 million Filipinos being employed in the tourism sector in the first quarter of 2024.

Sec. Frasco expressed optimism about surpassing the target of 7.7 million international tourist arrivals for 2024. She said that while challenges such as visa policies and infrastructure development persist, the DOT remains committed to addressing these issues and expanding connectivity, including the recent Manila-Paris direct flight.

Sec. Frasco also said: “We welcome this very positive development that expands the connectivity of the Philippines to Paris and to the European Union. We anticipate that this direct connectivity to the Philippines will further entice more tourists from Europe to come to the country and avail of our very popular tourism products with the European market that include, of course, our award-winning beaches, our adventure offerings and our dive tourism portfolio. We are also focused on improving our airports through public-private partnerships to enhance passenger experience and increase flight capacities.”

When asked how the DOT manages its international programs amid challenges and geopolitical tension, Sec. Frasco answered: “Tourism transcends politics, varying opinion, differences in culture, differences in geopolitical positions. The work that DOT has done has been to continue to champion Philippine tourism all over the world, wherever that may be we have not stopped in terms of promoting the Philippines as a top-of-mind tourism destination.”

Atty. Lina also emphasized the numerous accolades the Philippines received through the DOT’s efforts at the recent World Travel Awards, including Asia’s Leading Dive Destination, Asia’s Leading Beach Destination, Asia’s Leading Island Destination, and Asia’s Leading Wedding Destination, with The Manila Hotel recognized as the Philippines’ Leading Hotel.

As the Kapihan drew to a close, Sec. Frasco emphasized that the DOT is dedicated to partnering with local government units and private sector stakeholders to ensure tourism development aligns with local needs and supports sustainable growth.

About Kapihan sa Manila Hotel:
Kapihan sa Manila Hotel (Kapihan) stands as a distinguished platform for dialogue and progress, organized and hosted by The Manila Hotel’s esteemed president and former Senator, Atty. Jose “Joey” D. Lina, Jr. This weekly forum is designed to engage media members on a diverse array of topics and issues of national interest. It serves as a dynamic meeting ground for government officials, industry experts, journalists, content creators, and community members. Each session of Kapihan features Atty. Lina, alongside Manila Bulletin Publisher Mr. Sonny Coloma, who guides the discussions. A curated panel of guests delves into a specific topic, followed by an interactive segment, where media participants can pose questions. Building on its success, Kapihan has expanded its dialogues to The Manila Hotel’s sister property, and now hosting Kapihan sa Manila Prince once a month. To broaden its reach and facilitate a wider audience engagement, Kapihan is streamed live on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/Joey.Lina.51)