The Philippines and Thailand have agreed to renew and update the Implementing Program of Cooperation that will strengthen bilateral tourism initiatives between the two countries.
The two countries also agreed to explore the prospect of a tourism circuit that where the Philippines and Thailand will be marketed as a package for visitors outside of Asia.
On the on the sidelines of the 11th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Tourism Ministerial Meeting last week, Department of Tourism
Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco met with her counterpart Thailand Ministry of Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn to discuss how they can lead the recovery of tourism in the region.
Frasco said the Philippines believes by working together “we would be able to forge a stronger region together and recover from the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Both countries will update the Implementing Program of Tourism Cooperation Agreement covering
travel facilitation, research, and development, education and training, tourism initiatives, human capital development and employment generation.
The Philippines and Thailand inked the agreement for 2017 to 2022 last March 2017.
Frasco also explored the possibility of collaborating with Thailand in the areas of Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitionstourism, education tourism particularly English as a Second Language, and food and gastronomy tourism.
The two ministers agreed to form a technical working group to further review and discuss the updating and possible expanding of the areas of collaborations.
During Frasco’s meeting with tourism stakeholders of Thailand, participants raised the possibility of developing a link among Thailand, Japan and the Philippines.
As of August 14, 1.2 million tourists visited the Philippines of which 6,401 were Thai nationals. There are more tourists from the Philippines than Thais going to the the country.
