Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco unveiled plans and programs aimed at inclusive tourism development including positioning the Philippines as one of Asia’s most LGBTQIA+ friendly destinations.
This includes the mounting of the first-ever Tourism Pride Summit this September.
Frasco made the announcement during her Keynote Address at the Philippine Financial & Inter-Industry (PFIP) Pride Summit 2023, where she noted the massive opportunities for the development of LGBTQIA+ tourism in the Philippines, with the community being one of the fast-rising sectors of society across the globe, with over 35 million travelers from this sector.
In addition to hosting the Tourism Pride Summit with the PFIP, the DOT has identified the LGBTQIA+ tourism-related as a priority under the Office of Special Concerns of the Office of the Secretary.
The Department also sees to it that employees receive training on relevant topics including Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC) awareness and the basics of Gender and Development (GAD).
The DOT Chief expressed her elation as she joined the organization in celebrating “love, and the gains that the PFIP has made in its ten-year existence” and prefaced her message by sharing her experiences as the former Mayor of Liloan in Cebu.
In further supporting the LGBTQIA+ community, Frasco also pledged a personal donation from herself and her husband House Deputy Speaker Duke Frasco amounting to P500,000 to support the PFIP’s educational scholarships for underprivileged students that are members of the community.
