DOT to jumpstart domestic tourism under stricter protocols with IATF, LGUS

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WITH Metro Manila now placed under modified enhanced community quarantine and the majority of the other places in the country under general community quarantine or GCQ, the DOT, together with the Inter-Agency Taskforce on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) and several local government units (LGU), are preparing for the revival and re-opening of tourism in the Philippines.

At the SM Iloilo Festival with DoT Secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat.

Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, Department of Tourism (DOT) secretary, made the statement during the Hearing of the Senate Committee of the Whole on the Impact of Covid 19.

She presented a situationer on the country’s tourism industry and elaborated on the response measures undertaken by the Department of Tourism (DOT) to mitigate the economic impact of the pandemic.

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“It is important that we embrace the new normal and equip our industry stakeholders with the appropriate tools and knowledge to recover and succeed in the post-lockdown era,” Puyat said.

The DOT believes that this initiative will help provide livelihoods and generate jobs for Filipinos in these identified areas where tourism is their primary source of revenue.

The DOT also believes that the early preparation will help the tourism sector transition properly and safely once travel restrictions have been lifted and domestic travel will resume for all areas.

The DOT will identify these destinations based on places that highly depend on tourism for their local economy, will be under the MGCQ classification and are relatively smaller destination where activities can be contained and better managed.

As to who are able to visit these destinations, the DOT is currently targeting residents from nearby places that are already placed under GCQ. Visiting tourists will follow LGU Issuances on strict entry guidelines.

“The safety and well-being of the both tourists and residents alike has always been the priority of the DOT. In our Tourism Response and Recovery Plan (TRRP), we have prepared initial safety plans and protocols for travelers and tourism enterprises for the new normal in travel following the community quarantine.”, said Puyat

The TRRP was made in close coordination with the respective national agencies and private sector tourism stakeholders through the Tourism Congress of the Philippines (TCP). This includes priority programs and activities in support for the Philippine tourism industry, particularly for business owners and laborers.

In 2018, the tourism industry made up 12.7% of the Philippines’ gross domestic product (GDP) and provided 5.4 million jobs for Filipinos. Last year, the tourism industry achieved a new milestone of 8.26 million foreign tourists.

For the first four months of 2020, the DOT recorded a 54.02 percent decrease in foreign arrivals.

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