President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has approved the National Tourism Development Plan (NTDP) for 2023 to 2028, a blueprint designed to make the Philippines a “tourism powerhouse,” Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said in a briefing after the Cabinet sectoral meeting in Malacanang yesterday.
Meanwhile, Frasco does not see the need to impose travel restrictions despite the rising cases of the new coronavirus diseases 2019, saying “the pandemic is over” as declared by the World Health Organization.
“The direction of the Philippines is forward… to ensure (that we) open up the country for tourism,” Frasco said.
Frasco said health and safety protocols are in place and that the Department of Tourism makes sure all accredited establishments comply with these minimum health and safety standards to ensure everyone’s safety.
Frasco said the NTDP is not simply a guide for tourism promotion but it also addresses important issues like product development, infrastructure and connectivity digitalization and equalization of tourism development, and the enhancement of overall tourism experience as well as the strengthening of tourism governance.
To that, Secretary Ivan Uy of the Department of Information and Communication Technology in the same briefing said at least 46 of the 94 tourist destinations that are experiencing connectivity challenges would be connected by next quarter.
Among those that will initially have free internet include tourist areas in Baguio, Boracay and Cebu, among others.
Frasco said the NTDP is aimed at promoting a Philippine tourism industry that is anchored on Filipino culture, heritage and identity.
It also aims to make the country’s tourism industry sustainable, resilient and competitive.
NTDP has seven main objectives: 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 about the promotion of the Philippine brand, Frasco said the highlight would be “heart and soul of the Filipino that is evident in our culture, our festivals, our food, and the local products of our small and medium enterprises are living cultural heritage.”
She said the brand would be previewed in the next few weeks. “I assure you, you’ll love it,” she added.
In 2022, the tourism industry contributed P1.784 trillion to the economy with the arrival of 2.65 million international arrivals.
From January to May this year, the country has recorded more than two million tourist arrivals. The DOT target for 2023 is 4.8 million tourist arrivals.
She expressed confidence that the country would be able to reach, if not surpass, its yearend target. Jocelyn Montemayor and Myla Iglesias
