local tourism organization in the philippines

What Are the Different Tourism Organization in the Philippines?

By Anna Duncan

Traveling to the Philippines may be a dream come true for many. With its stunning beaches, rich culture, and friendly locals, it’s no surprise that the country is a popular destination for tourists.

But planning a trip to the Philippines can be overwhelming, especially with so many tourism organizations to choose from. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the different tourism organizations in the Philippines and what they offer.

Department of Tourism (DOT)

The Department of Tourism (DOT) is the primary government agency responsible for promoting Philippine tourism. It aims to attract both local and foreign tourists by highlighting the country’s natural beauty, cultural heritage, and unique experiences. DOT offers various programs and initiatives such as “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” campaign that encourages visitors to explore different parts of the country.

Philippine Tour Operators Association (PHILTOA)

The Philippine Tour Operators Association (PHILTOA) is a private organization composed of travel agencies, tour operators, and other tourism-related businesses. It advocates sustainable tourism practices while offering various tour packages that allow visitors to experience local culture and traditions. PHILTOA also provides training programs for its members to improve their services further.

Association of Travel Agencies (ATA)

The Association of Travel Agencies (ATA) is another private organization that represents travel agencies in the Philippines. It aims to provide excellent service to tourists by ensuring that its members comply with industry standards and regulations. ATA members offer various tour packages that cater to different interests and budgets.

Hotel Sales & Marketing Association International – Philippines Chapter

The Hotel Sales & Marketing Association International – Philippines Chapter (HSMA) represents hotels, resorts, and other accommodations in the country. It aims to promote Philippine hospitality by providing quality service and facilities while supporting sustainable tourism practices. HSMA also offers training programs and events that help its members improve their services further.

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Which organizations in the Philippines are related to tourism?

Travel Destinations

June 19, 2023

By Kristy Tolley

Tourism in the Philippines

Tourism is an essential industry in the Philippines, contributing significantly to the country’s economic growth. The country’s natural beauty, rich culture, and hospitable people attract millions of tourists every year. The Philippines is a popular destination for tourists from all over the world, with a booming industry that generates employment and revenue for the country.

Department of Tourism (DOT)

The Department of Tourism (DOT) is the primary government agency responsible for the promotion of the Philippines as a tourist destination. The DOT implements programs and initiatives that aim to increase tourist arrivals and generate revenue for the country. It also focuses on sustainable tourism development, ensuring that the tourism industry’s growth is balanced with environmental preservation and cultural conservation.

Philippine Tour Operators Association (PHILTOA)

The Philippine Tour Operators Association (PHILTOA) is an organization of tour operators, travel agencies, and tourism-related enterprises in the Philippines. PHILTOA aims to promote and develop the country’s tourism industry, particularly in the areas of adventure and eco-tourism. It also advocates for responsible tourism practices and partners with the government in promoting the Philippines as a prime tourist destination.

Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA)

The Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA) is an organization of travel agencies in the country. It is committed to promoting Philippine tourism by providing quality travel services to tourists worldwide. PTAA members adhere to ethical standards and best practices in the travel and tourism industry, ensuring the safety and satisfaction of their clients.

Hotel and Restaurant Association of the Philippines (HRAP)

The Hotel and Restaurant Association of the Philippines (HRAP) is an organization of hotels, resorts, and restaurants in the country. HRAP aims to promote the hospitality industry’s growth by providing world-class products and services that meet international standards. It also advocates for the interests of its members, ensuring a sustainable and competitive business environment.

Tourism Congress of the Philippines (TCP)

The Tourism Congress of the Philippines (TCP) is an industry association that represents the private sector’s interests in the tourism industry. TCP works closely with the government and other stakeholders in shaping policies and initiatives that support the industry’s growth and development. It also advances sustainable tourism practices and promotes the Philippines as a competitive tourist destination.

Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines (ATOP)

The Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines (ATOP) is an organization of tourism officers and professionals in the country. ATOP aims to promote tourism awareness and development in local communities and advocate for the interests of its members. It also spearheads initiatives that enhance the quality of tourism products and services in the country.

Philippine Association of Theme Parks and Attractions (PATPA)

The Philippine Association of Theme Parks and Attractions (PATPA) is an organization of theme parks, amusement parks, and other attractions in the country. PATPA aims to promote the development and growth of this sector of the tourism industry, ensuring that its members offer quality products and services that meet international standards.

Philippine Ecotourism Association (PEA)

The Philippine Ecotourism Association (PEA) is an organization that promotes sustainable tourism practices and eco-tourism development in the country. PEA works closely with local communities, government agencies, and the private sector in promoting responsible tourism practices that benefit the environment and local communities.

National Association of Independent Travel Agencies (NAITAS)

The National Association of Independent Travel Agencies (NAITAS) is an organization of independent travel agencies in the country. NAITAS aims to promote ethical business practices, provide quality travel services to clients, and represent the interests of its members in the tourism industry.

Philippine Tour Guides Association (PTGA)

The Philippine Tour Guides Association (PTGA) is an organization of professional tour guides in the country. PTGA aims to promote the professionalization of tour guiding in the Philippines, providing quality services to tourists and ensuring the preservation of the country’s culture and heritage.

Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA) and Retirement Sectors in Tourism

The Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA) is a government agency that promotes the Philippines as a retirement destination for foreign nationals. Retirement sectors in tourism are an emerging sector in the industry, providing a broad range of services and amenities for retirees and elderly tourists. The PRA collaborates with private sector entities in developing and promoting retirement sectors in tourism, contributing significantly to the industry’s growth and development.

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Community-Based Tourism in the Philippines

• October 24, 2023
• John William

Community-based tourism is a prevalent model in developing nations like the Philippines, where local communities actively engage in the tourism development process.

In various regions of the Philippines, the involvement of local communities in tourism is a common practice.

Community-based tourism in the Philippines is a growing sector that empowers local communities and promotes sustainable travel.

This model of tourism enables the preservation of cultural heritage and natural resources while simultaneously driving local economies.

Tourists have the opportunity to stay with local families, experience traditional customs and activities, and explore stunning landscapes.

This immersive experience fosters a deeper understanding and respect for the local culture and environment, offering a tourism model that benefits both visitors and hosts.

Introduction

Community-based tourism (CBT) is a sustainable and responsible approach to tourism that empowers local communities while offering travelers an authentic cultural experience.

In the Philippines, CBT has gained recognition and popularity, providing an opportunity for travelers to engage with diverse cultures and landscapes while contributing to local development.

This comprehensive guide explores the concept of community-based tourism in the Philippines, its principles, benefits, challenges, and how it is helping preserve the nation’s rich cultural and natural heritage.

1. Understanding Community-Based Tourism (CBT)

Community-based tourism (CBT) is a practice where local communities invite tourists to visit their communities, offering unique, community-based tourism in the Philippines immersive experience.

The locals provide accommodation, food, and activities that are authentic and indigenous to their culture.

The revenue earned from these engagements is utilized for community welfare and development. It not only benefits the locals economically but also encourages the preservation of their culture and environment, making CBT a sustainable tourism model.

a. Definition of CBT

• CBT is a form of tourism that emphasizes community participation, community-based tourism in the Philippines, local decision-making, and the equitable distribution of benefits. It encourages tourists to engage with the culture, traditions, and daily lives of local communities.

b. Principles of CBT

• Sustainability: CBT aims to ensure long-term environmental, social, and economic sustainability.
• Local Empowerment: Local communities are active participants in decision-making and resource management.
• Cultural Preservation: CBT aims to protect and promote the cultural heritage of communities.
• Income Distribution: CBT directs a significant portion of tourism revenue to the community.

2. The Philippines: A Haven for Community-Based Tourism

A. cultural diversity.

• The Philippines is known for its rich cultural diversity, with over 175 ethnolinguistic groups, each with its unique traditions, languages, and practices.
• CBT offers travelers the opportunity to immerse themselves in these diverse cultures.

b. Natural Beauty

• The Philippines boasts stunning natural landscapes, including pristine beaches, lush forests, and diverse marine life.
• CBT provides travelers the chance to explore these natural wonders while promoting responsible eco-tourism.

3. Benefits of Community-Based Tourism in the Philippines

A. economic growth.

• CBT generates income for local communities through homestays, guided tours, and the sale of traditional crafts and products. This income directly benefits community members and supports local businesses.

b. Cultural Preservation

• CBT helps preserve indigenous cultures and traditions by involving local communities in the tourism experience. This not only safeguards cultural heritage but also educates visitors about the importance of preservation.

c. Environmental Conservation

• Many CBT initiatives in the Philippines focus on conservation efforts, such as protecting coral reefs, reforestation, and wildlife preservation. These initiatives are supported by tourism revenue.

4. Community-Based Tourism Initiatives in the Philippines

A. homestays and cultural experiences.

• Travelers stay with local families, experiencing daily life and engaging in cultural activities.
• Examples of cultural experiences include traditional dances, storytelling, and participating in local festivals.

b. Ecotourism and Adventure Tourism

• CBT initiatives offer adventure experiences like trekking, river rafting, and diving.
• These activities highlight the natural beauty of the Philippines while promoting conservation.

c. Handicrafts and Local Products

• Local communities often produce handicrafts, textiles, and traditional products.
• Travelers can purchase these products, providing additional income to the community.

5. Challenges in Community-Based Tourism

A. sustainability challenges.

• Balancing the influx of tourists with the preservation of natural resources and local cultures is a constant challenge.

b. Infrastructure and Accessibility

• Many CBT destinations in the Philippines are in remote areas, which can present challenges in terms of infrastructure and accessibility.

c. Empowerment and Decision-Making

• Ensuring that local communities have a say in tourism management and benefit distribution can be complex, particularly when dealing with external stakeholders.

6. Government and NGO Support

A. government initiatives.

• The Philippine government has taken steps to promote CBT through policies, training, and funding for community initiatives.

b. NGO Involvement

• Various non-governmental organizations support CBT initiatives, providing resources, technical expertise, and connections to the global tourism industry.

7. Sustainable Traveler Practices

A. respect local customs.

• Travelers are encouraged to respect local customs, dress codes, and cultural practices.

b. Minimize Environmental Impact

• Eco-conscious behaviors, such as reducing plastic use, conserving water, and following designated trails, are essential for sustainable travel.

c. Supporting Local Businesses

• Purchasing locally-made products and services directly supports the community’s economic development.

8. The Future of Community-Based Tourism in the Philippines

A. promoting responsible tourism.

• The future of CBT in the Philippines relies on responsible and sustainable tourism practices that respect the environment and cultures.

b. Empowering Communities

• Ongoing efforts to empower local communities, engage in sustainable resource management, and actively participate in tourism decisions are crucial.

c. Global Awareness and Collaboration

• The Philippines, in collaboration with international organizations, aims to promote CBT globally, raising awareness about the benefits of community-based tourism and the importance of preserving cultural and natural diversity.

Community-based tourism in the Philippines stands as a model for responsible and sustainable travel. It empowers local communities and community-based tourism in the Philippines, preserves cultural traditions, and promotes environmental conservation. Travelers have the opportunity to engage with diverse cultures, experience stunning natural beauty, and contribute to local development. While challenges exist, government and NGO support, along with responsible traveler practices, can help ensure the continued growth of community-based tourism in the Philippines. As travelers and communities work together, this approach to tourism becomes a beacon of hope for preserving the Philippines’ rich cultural and natural heritage.

Where is the community-based tourism in the Philippines?

Community-based tourism in the Philippines is widespread, with notable examples in the Cordillera region, Palawan, Bohol, and other areas. Each locale offers unique cultural experiences and natural beauty, community-based tourism in the Philippines from Ifugao rice terraces to the pristine beaches of Palawan. Visitors are encouraged to participate in local customs, contribute to the community, and respect the environment.

What is community-based tourism?

Community-based tourism (CBT) is a form of sustainable tourism that aims to benefit local communities directly. It encourages travelers to engage with locals, learn their culture, and contribute to the local economy. Moreover, it also aids in preserving the environment and cultural heritage, creating a balanced and responsible form of tourism.

What is a community-based organization in the Philippines?

A community-based organization in the Philippines is typically a non-profit group that operates at the local level to meet specific needs or goals. These organizations play a vital role in community development, providing services, support, and resources in areas such as education, health, and livelihood. Their direct connection to local communities makes them effective drivers of sustainable development.

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Philippine Tourism Guidebook for Local Government Units

Related Papers

Mary Jean Abello-Camarin

Tourism is said to be a fragmented industry or group of industries, composed primarily of competing businesses which have no collective strategy, leading to a complex and fragmented area for development of government policy (Noel Scott, 2012). Such nature of tourism requires a more focused regional tourism planning approach that significantly responds to sustainable tourism products (Buhalis and Costa, 2006). This study delved into the crafting of a tourism development framework for Caraga Region as a planning approach to ensure sustainability of its predominantly nature-based tourism assets. The five Provincial Local Governments of Caraga were rated through a survey on the implementation level of tourism-related initiatives. Results revealed that the tourism-related initiatives’ implementation has bearing to the tourist arrivals of the provinces from 2010-2014. The problems encountered in the implementation of the initiatives were rooted on balancing market-led and supply-led development approaches that will both deliver satisfying tourist’s experience and preserve the integrity of tourism resources. Tourism therefore must not be done in isolation (United Nations World Tourism Organization, 2011) to achieve this. Patterned to the integrative tourism development model of Getz, the study concluded that Caraga Region’s tourism development framework must be anchored on responsible governance, infrastructure development, green tourism product development, human resource development and peace and security. Key Words: Caraga Region tourism development framework, tourism development, tourism

Managing Asian Destinations. Perspectives on Asian Tourism

Ramon B A Alampay

Planning for tourism development can take place at various levels. Some countries have national tourism development plans and it is not unusual within the national structure to find similar plans being made for subnational regions, towns, cities, etc. Although various approaches have been developed in general planning (e.g. boosterism, integrated, interactive, collaborative, bottom-up, etc.), a review of tourism literature shows that not many authors have been concerned with tourism planning (Andriotis, 2007). This chapter aims to investigate the local economic development and tourist circuit approach conducted under the Local Governance Support Program for Local Economic Development (LGSP-LED), an 8-year cooperation program of the Governments of the Philippines and Canada, aimed at strengthening the Philippine national policy environment for sustainable local economic development (LED) and improving local conditions for sustainable LED in specific areas of the country. Specifically, the chapter explores the main components of the tourist circuit planning approach, starting from the nature of tourist circuits, the ways that the approach was implemented, and ending with the outputs (what appears on the ground) and the outcomes (measurement of planning impacts).

Josephine Reyes

Jake Laguador

This article aims to review the published researches in Tourism related studies of Lyceum of the Philippines University-Batangas from various journals to provide basic information on the findings of the previously conducted researches from different parts of the province. The most studied part of Batangas is the Heritage Town of Taal followed by San Juan. Most studies conducted within Batangas City are about establishing business enterprises. Only one research paper conducted and published among the festivals being celebrated in the province which is the Tinapay Festival of Cuenca. Each municipality must have a concrete tourism development plan in order to support the tourism program of the Province of Batangas. In this context, future studies may concentrate on various features of festivals to preserve the culture and values imbibed from these festivities.

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These Local Communities are Thriving with Sustainable Tourism in the Philippines

The Department of Tourism is embarking on strengthened efforts towards sustainability by enhancing existing destinations and developing new circuits that highlight sustainable management practices and involve local communities.

As tourism has a multiplier effect—creating not only jobs but also livelihood opportunities through offering of goods and services—sustainability ensures the preservation of destinations, thriving of culture and traditions, and inclusive growth. Moreover, as sustainability measures often involve the community, the locals themselves become part of the meaningful experience of their hometown’s visitors. 

Here are the top sustainable tourism destinations for your next adventures in the Philippines and the communities that you will encounter on an unforgettable journey.

The eco-friendly locals of Mt. Hamiguitan and Mt. Apo in Davao

The Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary in Davao Oriental is Mindanao’s first and only UNESCO World Heritage Site, with attractions such as a pygmy forest where trees are stunted to only about 4.5 feet in height. There are 1,974 endemic plant and animal species that have been identified so far, including carnivorous pitcher plants, the iconic Philippine Eagle, Philippine cockatoo, and golden crowned flying foxes.  The locals are engaged not only in tourism but also in sustainable livelihood programs. One of these is beekeeping using the native stingless bee species called ‘kiyot’. This also helps with pollinating and protecting Mt. Hamiguitan’s vegetation.  

The Mount Apo Natural Park is home to 272 bird species, 111 of which are endemic, including the Philippine Eagle which is the largest in the world. The mountain is also inhabited by several indigenous groups: the Manobos, Bagobos, and Klata who consider it as a sacred mountain. They perfectly demonstrate how to coexist in harmony with the environment. Trek porters are equipped by the local tourism offices to share their knowledge of the mountain and its conservation. 

The artisans of Ilocos, Panay Island, Eastern Visayas, and Central Mindanao

The women of Ilocos, particularly in the towns of Paoay, Vigan, Pinili, down to the towns of Santiago in Ilocos Sur and Bangar in La Union have been weaving from their homes since pre-Hispanic times. Their hand-loomed Inabel fabric, made from cotton blends is made into blankets, table covers, and even apparel, such as bags, shoes, and face masks for the new normal, with traditional designs that have been passed down through generations. 

Panay Island also has a proud tradition of weaving, with several weaving communities across the island. In Aklan, they dexterously weave the fibers of the piña or Red Bisaya pineapple plant into delicate-looking cloth made into home decor and even formal apparel. Aklanon weavers are known for their piña and silk cloth creations that are embroidered with floral designs while the weavers of Iloilo and Antique are known for employing the suk-suk or inlaid weft technique in hablon and patadyong cloth.

Weavers in Eastern Visayas use materials harvested from plants that grow abundantly in their area to craft mats that can be used for sleeping or fashioned into decorative items such as place mats and plant holders or even bags and fans. These materials range from abaca, buri palm, coconut leaves and ribs, rattan and tikog or reed grass, pandan, pawa which is a type of thin bamboo, and seagrass. 

The surfing communities of La Union, Baler, Siargao, Surigao del Sur and Eastern Samar

The surfing hotspots of the Philippines have produced not only a burgeoning tourism industry but also world-class local surfers. Those living in the islands have picked up the sport and the waters of La Union, Baler, Siargao, Surigao del Sur and Eastern Samar have increasingly seen more locals on their boards. These friendly Filipino surfers are the embodiment of the laidback local surfing lifestyle and are also staunch advocates of caring for their marine environment. 

The culinarians of Iloilo City, Bacolod, Zamboanga City, and Davao City

Visiting the different regions of the Philippines is a taste trip, with each province contributing richly to the food map of the country, with recipes that make use of what is easily available in their locality. A cultural awareness of these dishes and the resulting food tourism ensures that not only the recipes are handed down to the next generation but heirloom produce will continue being planted by the local farmers.

Iloilo city is considered as one of the food capitals of the Philippines, with flavorful delicacies such as bowls of La Paz Batchoy noodles and Molo Soup. Negros Occidental is called the Sugar Bowl of the Philippines for its fields of sweet sugarcane. Among their preferred dishes for guests especially those visiting its capital city, Bacolod are Inasal (chicken grilled over hot coals), Piaya (unleavened flatbread filled with muscovado sugar), and Kansi or beef shank with bone marrow cooked in broth flavored with a local souring agent called Batwan.

Seafood abounds in Zamboanga, and their must-try dishes include ingredients such as a crustacean locally called Curacha, Imbao or mangrove clams, snails called Kulo, and Lato — a seaweed that resembles small green grapes, or commonly known as green caviar. Davao is known for its fruits, ranging from pineapples, bananas, sweet pomelos, and the infamous durian. For a memorable meal, try the specialties that make use of fresh seafood such as Kinilaw, the local version of ceviche, and Sinugba or freshly-grilled seafood.           

The farming communities of Negros Occidental

To experience life on a Filipino farm, visit the 14 farm tourism sites that have been accredited by the Department of Tourism in Western Visayas. These farms highlight the potential of sustainable agriculture that can provide income streams for the communities who profit from both the produce and their eco-tours. Visitors can relax and appreciate the bounty of nature while learning the technology applied to the farming practices suited to the climate and soil conditions of the area.

Travel safely!

All these tourist destinations have health and safety protocols in place to protect locals and visitors alike. Everyone is expected to comply by wearing face masks, regularly washing their hands, and practicing physical distancing.

To check out up-to-date information regarding local destinations that are open and the safety protocols and requirements needed for each location, you may visit philippines.travel/safetrip or download the Travel Philippines app at app.philippines.travel , Apple Store, or Google Playstore.

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Philippine local tourism up 38% in 2021, says DOT

The Philippines’ local tourism industry rebounded in 2021 as the demand for domestic travel soared amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Department of Tourism (DOT).

Based on the 2021 Philippine Tourism Satellite Accounts (PTSA), domestic trips in the country totaled 37,279,282, or 38.16% higher than 2020’s 26,982,233.

Employment in the tourism sector also increased to around 4.9 million individuals in 2021, a 4.6% growth from the recorded 4.7M in 2020, the DOT said, adding this accounted for 11.1% of the total employment in the country.

The DOT attributed the industry’s growth to the “collaborative efforts of the national and local government units (LGUs) to standardize health and safety protocols, reinforced by the active participation of tourism stakeholders from the private sector.”

“PTSA reports have been a critical tool in helping the DOT develop the tourism sector as a significant socio-economic activity, generate foreign exchange, employment, and information dissemination on the importance and benefit of the tourism sector for both private and public sectors,” DOT OIC Edwin Enrile said in his speech during a joint forum of the tourism agency with the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on Tuesday.

“Armed with this data and information, the DOT can further improve and refine its current plans and programs, learn from its weaknesses, and pinpoint where our strengths and opportunities lie amidst the pandemic,” he said.

Meanwhile, the DOT said the Philippines reported a decline in foreign visitor arrivals last year due to the closure of the country’s borders amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The DOT said the country recorded a total of 163,879 visitors from January to December 2021, a decline of 88.95% from the 2020 arrivals of 1,482,535.

The United States dominated the top visitor markets of the country with 39,326 arrivals, followed by Japan with 15,024; China with 9,674; India with 7,202; Canada with 6,781; and Korea with 6,456.

As the country’s main gateway, the Ninoy Aquino International Airport highest air arrivals with 142,448 or 86.92 percent It was followed by the Mactan-Cebu International Airport with 11,119 or 6.78 percent and the Clark International Airport with 9,964 or 6.08 percent of arrivals.

Tourist receipts in 2021 were posted at around P8.49-billion — 89.67% lower than the visitor spending of P82.24B recorded in the same period in 2020.

Guests mostly visited the Philippines for holiday and leisure with a total of 15.99% purpose of visit. Business trips accounted for 8.11 percent while incentive travels were at 2.66%.

The Tourism Satellite Account is a standard statistical framework and the main tool for the economic measurement of tourism, developed by the United Nations World Tourism Organization, Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, among other statistical organizations, which allows the measurement of the contribution of tourism industries to the Philippine economy. — Sundy Locus/KBK, GMA News

Opportunities and Challenges in Tourism Development Roles of Local Government Units in the Philippines1

Aser B. Javier, Ph.D. and Dulce B. Elazigue2

INTRODUCTION

Tourism as a product and service oriented industry, could generate widespread benefits and impacts to the economy and society. It could contribute to the achievement of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) particularly those concerning poverty alleviation, environmental conservation, and generation of employment opportunities for women, indigenous communities and young people. Further, tourism could be a source of revenue (foreign exchange earnings, tax revenue) to the government and because of its multiplier effect, could provide opportunities for local economic development (LED). The direct, upstream, and downstream industries involved in tourism activities have the potential for creating sectoral linkages and economic opportunities in the localities.

The major sub sectors prevalent in Philippine tourism include ecotourism; medical, health and wellness and retirement; meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions ‐ (MICE); adventure, outdoor and sports; amusement, entertainment and leisure; and cultural and heritage tourism (Alvia and Libosada, Jr., 2009). In 2005, the Philippines’ gross domestic product (GDP) at market prices was estimated at US$99 billion. Tourism’s direct contribution to GDP is around 2% and employment generated is around 1.5 million jobs. In 2006, there were over 3.49 million people directly and indirectly employed in the tourism industry. From 2004 to 2007, the industry registered annual average growth rates of 10.5% and 34.9% in terms of tourist arrivals and receipts, respectively (Gutierrez, 2008). In 2007, travel and tourism contributed an estimated 3.8 million jobs across the economy (or around 8.8% of total employment).

In view of the socio-economic benefits that could accrue to communities, it is imperative that communities capitalise on opportunities from tourism. One of the major

1 Paper presented to the 3rd Annual Conference of the Academic Network of Development Studies in Asia (ANDA). Skills Development for New Dynamism in Asian Developing Countries under Globalization. March 5-7, 2011 Symposion Hall, Nagoya University Japan. Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) and Nagoya University.

2 Dr Aser B. Javier is Associate Professor at the Institute of Development Management and Governance and is currently Director of the Institute of Strategic Planning and Policy Studies of the College of Public Affairs of the University of the Philippines Los Banos. Ms. Dulce B. Elazigue is University Researcher of the Institute of Strategic Planning and Policy Studies of the College of Public Affairs of the University of the Philippines Los Banos authorities which provide the key roles to this success is that of local government units (LGUs). LGUs could provide the ideal, authority, infrastructure, policy and planning procedures to maximise the benefit for its communities. LGUs play a major role in a community’s development, provide the links between the people and government, address its community’s problems and concerns, enforce policies and hold influence over its communities. The LGUs are also intermediaries in channelling the framework of government into each individual community in order to create a beneficial outcome.

In the context of sustainable development, local governments also play important roles on the success of its local tourism industry, as well as have a strong influence in conserving its resources. Sustainable tourism development refers to the management of all resources that meets the needs of tourists and host regions while protecting the opportunities for the future, in such a way that economic, social and aesthetic needs can be fulfilled while maintaining cultural integrity, essential ecological processes, biological diversity and life support systems (Tourism Act of 2010). Vital to this approach is the contribution of a full range of stakeholders and the community in planning and decision making in order to determine the community’s long term interest. On this basis, the local government can have a profound influence on the local tourism industry, and plays a part in conserving the very asset on which its future depends.

Further, local government’s institutional capacity to provide for tourism development will be affected by a number of issues, including: individual capacities, resources (financial and physical), community acceptance, and governance.

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

The role of local government is to promote the social, economic, environmental and cultural well–being of their communities and their involvement in tourism must be related to that. The LGUs have the mandate to craft their own tourism plan which sets out the priorities over the medium to longer term and how the local authority intends to contribute to community well–being. The plan must set out the following the community outcomes as a result of tourism development, how these have been identified and how the local authority will contribute to these. The Local Government Tourism Strategy may contribute to economic development strategies and or regional as well as national tourism strategies and serve as the basis of the role of LGUs (Figure 1). Figure 1. Interrelation between local and regional/national tourism strategy and community outcomes (Adapted from Local Government New Zealand (2004).

Community Outcomes

Contributes Contributes to Local government’s to contribution identified

Economic Local Tourism Plan Provides basis for local Development Government’s involvement Strategy

May be part of

Provides basis for local Government’s involvement Regional/National Tourism Strategy

TOURISM APPROACH TO LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (LED)

The Philippine government sees the need to focus on tourism in order to capitalize on the lost opportunities that could have been captured from it. As early as 2007, the DOT has identified the development of tourism real estates, establishment and modernization of tourist accommodation facilities as priority activities (Business World, 2007).

Republic Act (RA) 9593 also known as the Tourism Act of 2009 was enacted in May 12, 2009. The law is considered as the Omnibus Tourism Code. Its general provision stated in Section 1 is to harness its potentials “as an engine of socio-economic growth and cultural affirmation to generate investment, foreign exchange and employment and to continue to mold an enhanced sense of national pride for all Filipinos”. The state’s perspective of tourism, as with the rest of the other country’s experience and plans, is seen through the direct contributions on job creation, foreign exchange generation and stimulation of large and usually foreign investments. This policy statement reflects the government perspective on tourism that has remained largely unchanged since the creation of the DOT in 1973. The message has been consistent for almost 40 years: tourism is a powerful economic growth engine for the country with great potential to generate direct and indirect jobs, upgrade the levels of investment, and facilitate foreign exchange movements. Thus, it was not surprising that the policy framework of the 2004-2010 Medium Term Philippine Development Plan (MTPDP) remains “geared towards attracting more visitors, extending their length of stay, and increasing the attractiveness of tourist products to encourage travelers to spend more” (Alampay, 2009 as cited by Javier, 2010).

The Tourism chapter of the MTPDP has a product market, destination, building tourism priority zones and tourism infrastructure focus. Three priorities for product market has been identified –aggressive multichannel promotion of the short-haul beachgoer and sightseeing/shopper, and domestic market segments, related products, and destinations. These markets should receive between 60 and 70 percent of the promotional budget; Niche-based tailored promotion of the short-haul recreation travellers and ecotourists; and the strategic ‘ambassadors’ backpacker and balikbayan segments, and related products. These should receive between 20 and 30 percent of the promotional budget focusing on ‘rifle shot’ promotions aimed at specific niches such as golf, diving, among others; and long-term tactical marketing to the long-haul markets and MICE segments, and related products which should receive 20 to 30 percent of the promotion budget in the long-term, focusing on non-media based campaigns (MTPDP, 2004-2010).

The MTPDP 2004-2010 and the RA 9593 puts premium in establishing the Tourism Economic Zones (TEZs). This shall be the main vehicle for focused development at a local level within the priority destinations together with the creation of a Tourism Industrial and Economic Zone Authority (TIEZA) in place of the Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA). The TIEZA shall designate the TEZs, upon recommendation of any LGUs or private entity or through joint venture of private and public sectors (Chapter IV, Section 60, and RA 9593).

POLICY AND INSTITUTIONAL LANDSCAPE OF LGUs ROLES

The formation of institutional structures and the implementation of tourism policies and strategies require enabling legislation and regulatory framework. Below is a discussion of the policy and institutional setting that govern the tourism industry in the Philippines.

Republic Act No. 7160 of 1991- The Local Government Code

The Code (Section 17) provides for LGU’s responsibility in basic services and facilities that include tourism development and promotion programs, tourism facilities and other tourist attractions, including the acquisition of equipment, regulation and supervision of business concessions, and security services for such facilities. LGUs, as a corporate entity (Section 15) are also vested corporate powers with full autonomy (Section 22) in proprietary functions and management of their economic enterprises. However, the condition that this provision is subject to the limitations provided in this Code and other applicable laws negates the ‘full autonomy’.

The recent emphasis of the current administration towards the practice of the LGUs as corporate entities became very favourable for the tourism industry. Tourism together with agribusiness development was seen as the LGUs best bet for increasing local revenues. These two sectors were identified by the initial four pilot LGU clusters where the Local Governance Support Program-Local Economic Development (LGSP-LED) operates. The LGSP-LED is an eight-year collaborative program of the Governments of Canada and the Philippines implemented in partnership with the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and geared towards reducing poverty by strengthening local governance and supporting sustainable LED (LGSP-LED, 2009).

In terms of structure, the Local Development Councils (LDCs) at the provincial, city , and municipal level (Section 109) have the mandate to formulate socioeconomic development plans and policies; public investment programs; local investment incentives to promote the inflow and direction of private investment capital. At the same time, the LDCs are the ones that appraise and prioritize socioeconomic development programs and projects. The Sanggunian approves local development plans which are submitted to the regional development council, which shall be integrated into the regional development plan for submission to the National Economic and Development Authority, in accordance with existing laws.

Also very recently, a Memorandum Circular (DILG-MC 2010-113) was issued by the DILG encouraging provinces and cities for the creation of a Local Economic and Investments Promotions Officer (LEIPO). The LEIPOs are tasked primarily to facilitate the preparation, coordination, and execution of local economic and investment promotion policies, projects, and activities of the provincial/city government. Tourism development was identified by the LEIPOs as a good investment priority as planned in the initial roll- out of the LEIPOs orientation on LED (Javier, 2010).

Republic Act No. 9593 - The Tourism Act of 2009

The Act provides for the development of a national tourism action plan for implementation by national and local governments; enlisting the participation of local communities, including indigenous peoples, non-government organizations (NGOs), people’s organizations (POs) and the private sector. It also emphasizes capability- building of LGUs, in partnership with the private sector, in the management of local tourism projects and initiatives, and the establishment of tourism enterprise zones (TEZs). Local tourism development planning

LGUs, in consultation with stakeholders, are encouraged to utilize their powers under the Local Government Code to ensure the preparation and implementation of a tourism development plan, the enforcement of standards and the collection of statistical data for tourism purposes. The plan should integrate zoning, land use, infrastructure development, the national system of standards for tourism enterprises, heritage and environmental protection imperatives in a manner that encourages sustainable tourism development (Section 37).

Institutional arrangements

The Department of Tourism (DOT) shall be the primary planning, programming, coordinating, implementing and regulatory government agency in the development and promotion of the tourism industry. It shall monitor the LGUs’ compliance to national standards in the licensing of tourism enterprises; and ensure the proper coordination, integration, prioritization and implementation of local tourism development plans. It shall provide technical assistance to LGUs in destination development, standard setting and regulatory enforcement; preparation, implementation and monitoring of local tourism development plans, gathering of statistical data, and enforcement of tourism laws and regulations.

There are a number of activities where LGUs have to coordinate with DOT. These include: - integration and coordination of local and national plans for tourism development - approval (by LGU resolution) of designating TEZ - designation of a permanent position and performance of functions of a tourism officer in every province, city or municipality where tourism is a significant industry - promulgation (also in consultation the private sector industries and other tourism stakeholders) of rules and regulations on the operation of all tourism enterprises, such as a national standard for licensing, accreditation and classification of tourism enterprises - establishment of tourist information and assistance centers at strategic locations (province, city or municipality where tourism is a significant industry) - provision to DOT of an inventory of all the resources available to the DOT for use in the implementation of the Act - periodic reporting to the DOT on the status of tourism plans and programs, tourist arrivals, and tourism enterprises, among others, within their jurisdictions - issuance of timely advisories on the safety or viability of travel to particular places - report to DOT of incentives provided by LGUs for tourism enterprises through, among others, reductions in applicable real estate taxes and waivers of fees and charges Rationalization of tourism areas, zones and spots

Under the Act, the Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA) is reorganized as the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA). The TIEZA shall be a body corporate which shall designate, regulate and supervise the TEZs as well as develop, manage and supervise tourism infrastructure projects in the country. TEZ is an area specifically defined or organized as a tourism area, zone or spot under any special or general law, decree or presidential issuance (Section 32).

With respect to tourism zones, areas or spots not organized into TEZs, the DOT, through appropriate arrangements, may transfer control over the same or portions thereof, to another agency or office of the government, or to a LGU upon DOT approval. The Department shall exercise supervisory powers over such agency, office or LGU in accordance with the terms of the transfer or the development plan of the zone, area or spot.

No TEZ shall be designated without a development plan duly approved by the TIEZA and without the approval, by resolution, of the LGU concerned. LGUs which comprise, overlap, embrace or include a TEZ in their territorial jurisdictions shall retain their basic autonomy and identity in accordance with the Local Government Code.

Under the Act, The Philippine Conventions and Visitors Corporation (PCVC) are reorganized as the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB). The Bureaus for Domestic and International Tourism Promotions, and the Office of Tourism Information of the Department, are absorbed into the Tourism Promotions Board. The DOT, the TPB and the TIEZA shall prioritize promotion and development assistance for LGUs which successfully adopt and implement their tourism development plans.

Funding schemes

The Act provides for the Tourism Development Fund to be disbursed and administered by the DOT for the development, promotion and marketing of its tourism and other projects. DOT may provide financial to LGUs for the preparation, implementation and monitoring of their tourism development plans.

Tourism enterprises registered with the TIEZA shall further be ordered to pay back taxes in the amount equivalent to the difference between the taxes that they should have paid had they not availed of the incentives under the Act and the actual amount of taxes being paid by them under the same incentive scheme. The back taxes to be collected shall be computed up to three (3) years directly preceding the date of promulgation of the decision or order finding that the tourism enterprise violated the terms of its accreditation. The proceeds of these back taxes shall be distributed as follows: one-third to the National Government; one-third to the LGUs concerned, to be shared by them equally in case of more than one such LGU; and one-third to the TIEZA.

One unique feature of the RA 9593 is the shared governance of both national and local governments in tourism development. The shared governance approach hopefully will ensure the cooperation of each agency in performing n tourism development plans.

Shared Governance

The Act is also explicit in the delineation of the shared responsibilities between national and local governments. It is the responsibility of both national local governments to prepare and implement tourism development plans, enforcement of standards and collection of data for tourism purposes. It is imperative to national governments to assist the LGUs in planning and law enforcement. This means that tourism development is both a responsibility of national and local governments.

Table 1. Summary of National-Local Roles and Tourism Shared Governance Functions National Government Shared Governance Local Government Tourism (a) Formulate tourism LGUs to ensure the Formulate Development policies, plans and projects for preparation tourism plans Planning the development of and implementation of a and programs tourism as an engine of socio- tourism development plan, the economic and cultural growth; enforcement of standards and the collection of statistical data for tourism purposes. The development plans shall integrate zoning, land use, infrastructure development, the national system of standards for tourism enterprises, heritage and environmental protection imperatives that encourage sustainable tourism development. (b) Supervise and coordinate (ix) Investment the implementation of tourism support policies, plans and project services, including access to credit financing; (n) Ensure the proper coordination, integration, prioritization and implementation of local tourism development plans with that of the National Government; Tourism (e) Provide an integrated Promotion market development program to attract people to visit The Philippines and enhance the prestige of the country and the Filipino people in the international community; (f ) Represent the government in all domestic and international conferences and fora, and in all multilateral or bilateral treaties and international agreements concerning tourism, and ensure government implementation; Tourism (i) Support, advance and The DOT shall develop and (xi) Tourism Standards promote the protection, support training programs to facilities and maintenance and preservation enhance the capability of other tourist of historical, cultural and LGUs to monitor and attractions, natural endowments, in administer tourism activities, including the cooperation with appropriate and enforce tourism laws, acquisition of government agencies and the rules and equipment, private sector, and take regulations in their respective regulation and appropriate jurisdictions. Funding for such supervision of measures against acts and programs shall be shared business omissions contrary to these equitably between the concessions, objectives; Department and the LGUs and security concerned. services for such facilities; (k) Evaluate tourism development projects for the issuance of permits and the grant of incentives by appropriate government agencies, establish a databank of tourism areas and projects for investment purposes, and encourage private sector investment and participation in tourism activities and projects; (l) Formulate and promulgate, in consultation with the LGUs, the private sector industries and other tourism stakeholders, rules and regulations governing the operation and activities of all tourism enterprises, including but not limited to a national standard for licensing, accreditation and classification of tourism enterprises, impose reasonable penalties for violation of accreditation policies and recommend to the LGUs concerned the suspension or prohibition of operation of a tourism enterprise; (m)Monitor the LGUs’ compliance to national standards in the licensing of tourism enterprises, (o) Provide technical assistance to LGUs in destination development, standard setting and regulatory enforcement; (p) Undertake continuing research studies and survey to analyze tourism economic conditions and trends and compile and integrate a statistical databank;

The National Tourism Action Plan, 2004-2010

The Plan addresses:  Transportation and infrastructure - e.g., improving air/sea access to the Philippines; liberalizing civil aviation; promoting seamless travel to and from tourism gateways and satellite destinations; developing related infrastructure  Marketing and product development - enhancing the Philippines’ image as a safe, secure and tourist-friendly destination; synchronizing public and private sectors‟ marketing and promotional efforts  Environment, social, cultural concerns - to conserve and protect the national, physical, and ecological resources; research and development; advocacy and capacity building for tourism stakeholders on protection and preservation of natural and cultural resources  Investments and economics - encouraging investments in existing and new tourism enterprises through tourism enterprise/economic zones, rationalization of incentives for tourism projects and continued investment liberalization; promoting greater involvement of local communities in tourism  Institution building and human resource development - institutionalizing public- private sector partnerships in the formulation, implementation and monitoring of the NTAP

Related to the Action Plan is the Tourism Master Plan of the Philippines (1990 – 2010) which was formulated in 1990 which emphasizes tourism development on an environmentally sustainable basis and social cohesion and cultural preservation at local level. The strategies identified are: cluster development approach based on the establishment of three main international gateways and associated satellite destinations; a niche/mass market approach based on a diverse mix of special interests; a balance of development between foreign and domestic tourism. Regional Tourism Plans were envisioned to be blueprints for the development of the regional destinations and site specific tourism master plans have also been formulated.

Executive Order No. 111 and the National Ecotourism Strategy

This EO was issued on 17 June 1999 to establish the guidelines for ecotourism development in the Philippines, and thereby created a National Ecotourism Development Council to make policy along with structures to review and approve ecotourism projects. Prior to this EO, a joint DENR-DOT Memorandum Circular No. 98-02 provided the guidelines for ecotourism for development of the Philippines and created the Ecotourism Steering Committee which includes the Concerned Local Government Unit representative.

Pursuant to EO111, the National Ecotourism Strategy (NES) was completed in April 2002 to promote an integrated approach for the protection of natural resources while at the same time generating economic opportunities for local communities. Its preparation was undertaken through a series of regional stakeholders’ consultation and national planning workshops that emphasized a bottom-up and top-down approach for harnessing ideas, information and experiences in developing the country's ecotourism sites.

Republic Act No. 7916 - Special Economic Zone Act of 1995

This Act provides for the creation, operation, administration and coordination of Special Economic Zones in the Philippines, creating for this purpose, the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA). PEZA is the national investment promotion agency and a government owned corporation, attached to the Department of Trade and Industry. In 2002, the DOT entered into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with PEZA that will grant Special Economic Zone status to tourism development zones and tourism estates upon registration with PEZA subject to the issuance of the required Presidential Proclamation. The PEZA shall consider for registration tourist-oriented enterprises to be located in PEZA-registered tourism development zones/tourism estates which are enclosed by the DOT as enterprises that will be established and operated with foreign tourists as primary clientele.

PEZA grants fiscal and non-fiscal incentives to developers of economic zones, - export producers and IT service exporters. PEZA offers ready-to-occupy locations to foreign investors who are export producers or IT service exporters in world class and environment friendly Economic Zones and IT parks/buildings. Recently, tourism has been included as a priority investment sector opening the way for the designation of tourism economic zones.

EMERGING ISSUES AND CHALLENGES

There is a wide array of concerns that LGUs could address in making decisions towards developing the tourism industry (Table 1). While LGUs are in a strategic position to plan and facilitate tourism development in their areas of jurisdiction, they are also challenged by the realities of expanding roles and responsibilities, budget pressures, prioritization given a constraint in resources, as well as governance issues. LGUs must find ways to cope with these realities such as building networks, pursuing adequate funding and enhancing local organizations.

In making decisions and actions, considerations include community needs (e.g., potential for economic growth, employment, potential to increase the tax base of the LGU); structural (statutory/legal procedures, experience and skills of decision makers); inter- personal relations (e.g., community pressure and/or conservation groups). Table 1. Tourism decisions and action that could be taken by LGUs. Concern Decision/action Information Supporting economic development of local/regional tourism products Local/regional tourism promotion and operation of tourist offices Planning Supporting completion of local/regional tourism development plans and strategies Long term vision for tourism having regard for social, economic and environmental factors Local tourism development policy Controls Policies on zoning criteria, permissible development criteria, other controls for tourism development Providing guidelines and controls for facilitating tourism development possibilities Architectural and engineering designs of specific tourist facilities Safety, health and environmental integrity requirements for tourism developments Development Development applications approvals for tourism-related land uses, services and facilities Varied or waived assessment criteria or standards regarding local tourism developments Specific licenses, permits or other consents to be granted for tourism developments Assessing the commitment, compatibility and intentions of developer-operators Land use Determining future/present land use zones for incremental tourism development Determining specific suitable sites which show permissible development of land for tourism Infrastructure Infrastructure changes for enhancing the tourist experience and/or visitor management Recreational, open space and infrastructure plans in the local region Funding Establishing fees, taxes, rates etc. from tourism developments and other visitor amenities Funding consultancies, expert advice and research to address tourism issues and development problems Source: Richins (2000)

Some emerging issues are discussed below. Conditional Provisions on Autonomy of LGUs

The Local Government Code bestows corporate powers to LGUs, but this is conditional upon the limitations provided in the Code and other applicable laws, thus negating the LGUs ‘full autonomy’ power. DOT still exercises control in terms of ownership of tourism facilities. TIEZA (formerly PTA) remains responsible for infrastructure development.

DOT, being the lead agency in tourism development, laments the capability of the LGUs in its regulatory mandate (as per Local Government Code), for example in licensing of tourism businesses, generation and management of tourism-related data to guide decision making in tourism development. On the other hand, the LGU’s autonomy in tourism development is constrained with the provisions of the Tourism Act where most related activities at the local level have to be coordinated with DOT.

The powers of the LGUs under the Local Government Code pertaining to the issuance of business permits, licenses and the like will not be diminished. However, accreditation by DOT is required in the issuance of these licenses by LGUs. When an enterprise fails to obtain or loses accreditation, the DOT shall notify the LGU concerned so that it may take appropriate action in relation to an enterprise’s licenses and permits to operate.

The new law maybe a wake-up call for the LGUs as far as exercising autonomy is concerned but is a challenge in national-local coordination. In addition, it will be an exercise in anticipatory local tourism planning.

Ecotourism Research and Information

Tourism knowledge base will help guide and facilitate the expansion of the sector. This will help in identifying sites for tourism development; developing research agendas, programmes and partnerships; and, improving the supply of data and information to all partners and stakeholders. Community profiling of resources and skills will be necessary if tourism is identified as a job creator.

Reliable research and statistics are a major weakness of the tourism industry. Although there are actions to improve the quantity and quality of data collected by the DOT and LGUs, there is still the need to develop a consistent and reliable database. LGUs have an important role in generating this database which should include characteristics of tourists from the different source markets (e.g., what they do, length of stay, how much they spend); inventory of resources (e.g., how many hotels, rooms, location, standards); utilization of resources (e.g., occupancy rates, bed nights sold in different forms of paid accommodation by source market); profiles of main international source markets (e.g., size of markets, motivations, travel patterns); more comprehensive profile of domestic market. Research-related activities that may be done at the local level include generation of statistics on tourism, cost and benefit analysis, economic impact analysis as well as analysis of impacts of policies (Figure 2).

In the Philippines, the most-often cited problems by tourists include garbage, peace and order, heavy traffic, lack of information, and poverty (DOT in Cruz, 2000).

Other concerns include frequent occurrences of natural calamities and protection of indigenous peoples’ rights to ancestral domains. These indicators are monitored at the level of the tourist site or municipality, but the practicality of these indicators will be contingent on primary data collection.

Figure 2. Research-related activities essential for tourism development.

Source: DOT-JICA 2007

Certification and Accreditation

Certification is a valid instrument to motivate local stakeholders to develop structures to encourage and support improvement of business units, working to a standard that will give them peer recognition, staff morale, and other aspects which make firms more competitive. The label of this certification is considered as added value that leads to acceptance in the marketplace. The Philippines has only around 338 hotel and resort establishments with 27,466 rooms available for tourists nationwide. Around 37% is concentrated in Metro Manila. Of the better quality hotels and resorts accredited by the DOT, 20% are internationally managed. In terms of the total number of hotels and resorts recognized by the DOT, this percentage is only 5% (Pantig and Smith 2005).

The DOT accredits establishments (using de luxe, first class, standard and economy ratings) on a voluntary basis in order to assure quality services. The monitoring system of DOT’s accreditation needs to be enforced as tourists complain of the inability of establishments to meet accreditation level.

With the new Tourism Act, primary tourism enterprises shall be periodically required to obtain accreditation from the Department as to the quality of their facilities and standard of services. These include travel and tour services; land, sea and air transport services exclusively for tourist use; accommodation establishments; convention and exhibition organizers; tourism estate management services). For secondary tourism enterprises (those not mentioned above), accreditation shall be voluntary. The DOT may delegate the enforcement of the system of accreditation to LGUs that have adopted and successfully implemented their tourism development plans. The system of accreditation is based primarily on levels of operating quality and efficiency. Tourism facilities or establishments can already secure their licenses from the local government units but prior accreditation from the DOT is required. This again reinforces the regulatory role of DOT.

Other challenges in certification and accreditation relate to the process and costs involved in application, implementation by tourism firms, and operation of a program (Font, nd). Although certification, e.g. of quality in hotels has started to include environmental concerns, consideration of socio-cultural issues remains to be addressed.

LGU funding and exercise of corporate powers

To address budget pressures, LGUs need to improve capability for income generation, e.g., revenue-earning businesses. The context of public entrepreneurship has to be embedded in LED approach for tourism development. Legitimately vested with corporate powers, the challenge therefore, for LGUs and local chief executives (LCE) is how to establish a business climate and harness local entrepreneurial competencies.

EXAMPLES OF GOOD PRACTICES AT THE LOCAL LEVEL

LGUs should build its commitment to tourism in terms of awareness raising, planning and relationships. Host communities must be among the primary beneficiaries of tourism activity at the local level. Local people should develop a strong sense of ownership of tourism resources in their area. Strategies or models adopted by various localities could be examined to learn lessons from these experiences and help in designing options appropriate to specific situations or circumstances. Some of these are discussed below:

Central Philippines – An illustration of institutional set-up for tourism

The Central Philippines tourism program adopts an institutional mechanism as shown in Figure 3. Governed by elected officials, LGUs are the direct interface between the local residents and government. LGUs can initiate tourism-related development projects. Provincial Tourism Offices (PTOs) and Municipal Tourism Offices (MTOs) are LGU units that have direct involvement in tourism. The local government tourism office (TO) primarily functions as a tourism promotion unit that coordinates or organizes events, represents the area at tourism road shows/fairs, and produces relevant materials. However, as tourism is a new industry for many LGUs, few have established tourism units with appropriately qualified personnel.

Private sector participation is through the Provincial/Municipal/Barangay Tourism Councils. Provincial or municipal/city tourism councils are private entities, the memberships of which usually comprise 60% private entities and 40% government representatives. These councils help organize the local tourism industry into a cohesive organization that promotes the growth of the sector and the area. Barangay Tourism Councils, with the same set-up as provincial or municipal tourism councils, focus on the tourism affairs and concerns of the barangay or village. Tourism councils are composed of influential people in the locality such as local politicians, relatives of politicians, civic organizations, and businessmen.

Figure 3. Local government institutional arrangements for tourism, Central Philippines Legend: ------liaison arrangement; ______hierarchical arrangement Source: DPT-JBIC 2007

There are other tourism associations with homogenous organization or varied representations organized in the different areas of Central Philippines. However, the levels of involvement and organizational sophistication vary greatly between areas.

PCCI Biztour5 Program

Another notable practice is the tourism program called Biztour5 launched by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) in 2006 to augment the government’s efforts in promoting tourism development. The Biztour5 Program aims to achieve “Five As” through the development of business and investment opportunities along the 5As. The 5As forming the tourism supply chain refer to: arrival (pre arrival marketing, air/sea/land transport, air/sea ports); access (roads, terminals, & related ‐ infrastructure); accommodation (hotels, lodging, & restaurants); attractions (natural & man made), and activities (rest, recreation, & education). The scheme allows LGUs to work in cooperation with their neighbouring areas to cover whichever component, or “A”, ‐ a particular place is lacking (Alvia and Libosada, 2009).

Tourism Award

The Philippines has instituted tourism industry awards, which are cooperative projects of government and the tourism industry. For instance, the Kalakbay Award, given every two years, recognizes the best hotels, resorts, travel agencies, tour operators, tourism frontline workers, local tourism councils and ecotourism products. Environmental practices form part of the criteria for selection of best hotels and resorts, but the weights assigned to them are quite low.

New Zealand’s Postcards from Home’

The local government tourism strategy of New Zealand could also be considered. Referred to as ‘Postcards from Home’, the strategy recognizes the role for local authorities in ensuring that their communities benefit from tourism. Local government leads, enables and works in partnership with other stakeholders to ensure a successful and sustainable tourism sector. Options reflect local needs for structuring Regional Tourism Organisations and other local marketing activities. “Postcards from Home” noted the very wide range of roles which local authorities can play in tourism including: owner of tourism facilities/services, operator of tourism facilities/services, funder of tourism marketing/services, community facilitator, planners of infrastructure, services and facilities, regulator, and/or providers of infrastructure, services and facilities. Local government will lead, enable and work in partnership with other stakeholders to ensure a successful and sustainable tourism sector.” Public-private partnership

Tourism should be integrated with the local economy, participation of communities from the planning to implementation and management should be encouraged. Public- private partnership and external investments should be promoted. Examples of strong private-public partnership in tourism development should be emulated as in the case of Olango Bay in Cebu, and Panglao Craft Village at Panglao Island Tourism Estate in Bohol. To enhance revenue generation from tourism, LGUs should consider environmental costs equitably through direct and indirect contributions, fees, and charges. The Mt. Pinatubo Tourism Project for example, helped establish a cooperative that serve guided tours to Mt. Pinatubo's Crater Lake. Tourists pay user fees, which are used for conservation of the trekking route and maintenance of public facilities and created livelihood for the cultural community.

The foregoing discussion provided us the big picture on opportunities and challenges of stakeholders roles in tourism development particularly the national and local actors and institutions.

Internal to the LGU is the challenge of what the key offices enabling roles will be considering the relationship with national government. This is particularly evident in what the local legislative council policies and the executive offices programs will be in support of tourism businesses and balancing call for sustainable development. These are in the areas of leading investments in the local tourism areas, developing strategies based on a better understanding of tourism needs, the need for increase dialogue with business, evidence based decisions, specially on the negative impacts of tourism, shift in ad-hoc to anticipatory management, and last is the thinking of a “whole of government approach” to tourism development in general or harnessing governmental and private bodies towards local tourism goals.

Internal to national government is the challenge of what key offices enabling roles will be in considering its relationship with the LGUs. This is particularly evident in what coordination mechanisms is to be adopted specially in enforcement and compliance to tourism standards and in building competencies in tourism development planning. These are in the areas of making sure that tourism development plans are translated in major local policies and embedded in LGU budgets, coordination in marketing local tourism areas at various promotional levels, and assistance in aftercare services for tourism business retention, expansion and diversification. This brings us to a conclusion that both national and local roles in tourism development are anchored on its enabling (planning, promotions, research and business assistance) and regulatory (enforcement, compliance and conservation) roles and its delicate balance. References

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Department of Tourism (DOT) - Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC). 2007. Sustainable Management Tourism Plan for Central Philippines. Final Report.

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Javier, Aser B. 2010. The Local Economic Development Framework for Local Government Units in the Philippines. Local Governance Support Program for Local Economic Development (LGSP-LED) - Department of Interior and Local Government.

Local Government New Zealand. 2004. Recommended Good practice for Governance of Regional Tourism Organisations, Catalyst Management Services Limited, New Zealand

Pantig, Evelyn B and Stephen L. J. Smith. 2005. Tourism Statistics and International Trade Statistics: Challenges and Research Needs. Paper presented during the WTO Conference entitled “The Tourism Satellite Accounts (TSA): Understanding Tourism and Designing Strategies” at Iguazu Falls Argentina/Brazil/Paraguay, October 3-6, 2005. Richins, Harold 2000. Influences On Local Government Tourism Decision-Making: A study of authoritative opinion, the journal of tourism studies Vol. 11, No. 2, December 2000, pp2-14.

Richter, L (1989). The Philippines: The Politicization of Tourism. The Politics of Tourism in Asia. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press.

Shikida, Asami 2009. Tourism relationship model and intermediary for sustainable tourism management: Case study of the Kiritappu Wetland Trust in Hamanaka, Hokkaido, Center for Advanced Tourism Research, Hokkaido University, Sapporo , Japan

Trousdale, William 1999 Governance in Context Boracay Island, Philippines, Annals of Tourism Research. 26(4). 1999. pp 840-867 For Published Version, Contact Annals of Tourism Elsevier Ltd.

Department of Tourism (1991). Tourism Master Plan (1991-2010). Manila: Philippines

South Australian Tourism Commission, 2006, Local Government’s Engagement in Tourism: Final Report, Adelaide, South Australia”

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To travel and create meaningful stories with different people from different places in the Philippines and inspire others to travel responsibly and become a catalyst for change towards inclusive growth through tourism

We are a nonprofit organization promoting sustainable tourism in the Philippines by

• organizing local tours to promote world-class tourist destinations, Filipino values, arts, traditions and cultural diversity and create meaningful stories to encourage local and foreign tourists to visit, discover and know more about the Philippines
• raising awareness on responsible and safe traveling practices
• conducting fundraising and donation drive activities and partner with government agencies and private sector to help address sustainability issues and improve the lives of underserved communities in different tourist destinations through various causes

We envision to be a partner for sustainable tourism in the Philippines.

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What is the main tourism organization in the Philippines?

The main tourism organization in the Philippines is the Department of Tourism (DOT), which is responsible for promoting, developing, and regulating the Philippine tourism industry.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Background of tourism in the philippines.

The Philippines, an archipelago comprising more than 7,000 islands, has a rich history of tourism, attracting visitors with its stunning natural landscapes, vibrant culture, and warm hospitality.

• Early Tourism: Tourism in the Philippines can trace its roots back to the Spanish colonial era, where the country’s coastal towns became popular destinations for trade and leisure.
• Post-War Era: After World War II, the country’s tourism industry began to flourish, promoting its picturesque beaches like Boracay and historical sites such as Intramuros .
• Modern Tourism: In recent years, the government has invested significantly in tourism infrastructure, creating more accessible transportation and developing eco-friendly resorts to attract international tourists.

Importance of Tourism Industry

The tourism industry is a vital sector in the Philippines’ economy, generating significant revenue, creating jobs, and promoting cultural exchange ,Main tourism organization in the Philippines is DOT.

• Economic Contribution: Tourism is one of the top sources of foreign exchange earnings in the country. In 2019, it contributed approximately 12.7% to the nation’s GDP, signifying its critical role in economic development.
• Employment Opportunities: The industry provides employment for millions of Filipinos, from hotel staff to tour guides. It supports related sectors such as food and beverage, transportation, and arts and crafts.
• Cultural Promotion: Through tourism, the rich cultural heritage of the Philippines, including UNESCO World Heritage Sites like the Baroque Churches and the Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras , is showcased to the world. The festivals, traditions, and culinary experiences become an essential part of the tourism offering.
• Sustainable Development: The government’s commitment to sustainable tourism ensures that natural resources are preserved, and local communities benefit from tourism revenue. Initiatives like the rehabilitation of Boracay Island are evidence of the dedication to environmental responsibility.

The Main Tourism Organization in the Philippines: Department of Tourism (DOT)

History and formation.

Its formation marked a significant step in recognizing tourism as a vital part of the country’s economic development.

• Early Years: Initially operating as a small unit within other government departments, the DOT eventually became a full-fledged department to oversee the nation’s tourism policies and strategies.
• Legislative Milestones: The passing of the Tourism Act of 2009 further empowered the DOT, strengthening its mandate to promote sustainable and responsible tourism.

Mission and Vision

The Department of Tourism operates with a clear mission and vision to enhance the tourism sector in the Philippines.

• Mission: The DOT’s mission is to promote the Philippines as a world-class tourism destination, showcasing the best of its natural beauty, cultural heritage, and Filipino hospitality.
• Vision: The vision of the department is to become a leader in global tourism, prioritizing sustainability, inclusivity, and innovation. The goal is to provide memorable and enriching experiences for both local and international tourists.

Organizational Structure

The DOT’s organizational structure is designed to facilitate the efficient execution of its functions.

• Central Office: Headed by the Tourism Secretary, the central office coordinates policy-making, planning, and standard-setting.
• Regional Offices: The DOT operates regional offices across the country, implementing programs and projects tailored to the specific needs and opportunities of each region.
• Attached Agencies: Various agencies like the Tourism Promotions Board and the Philippine Tourism Authority work in coordination with the DOT to enhance the tourism experience in the Philippines.

Key Functions and Responsibilities

• Marketing and Promotion: Through international advertising campaigns, participation in travel fairs, and collaboration with travel agencies, the DOT actively markets the Philippines as a must-visit destination.
• Regulation and Accreditation: The DOT sets quality standards for tourism facilities and services, ensuring safety, accessibility, and sustainability.
• Research and Development: Conducting research on market trends, tourist behavior, and industry best practices enables the DOT to adapt its strategies and remain competitive in the global tourism landscape.
• Education and Training: The department provides training programs and educational materials for tourism practitioners, enhancing their skills and knowledge in hospitality management.

Subsidiary Bodies and Partnerships

The Department of Tourism (DOT) in the Philippines works closely with various subsidiary bodies and engages in partnerships to promote and develop tourism in the country.Main tourism organization in the Philippines is DOT. The following entities play crucial roles in collaboration with the DOT:

Tourism Promotion Board (TPB)

The Tourism Promotion Board is primarily responsible for marketing and promoting the Philippines as a tourism destination. It works on both international and domestic fronts.

• Advertising and Publicity
• Market Research
• Tourism Events Management
• Collaboration with travel agencies and tour operators

Philippine Convention and Visitors Corporation (PCVC)

The PCVC focuses on attracting conventions, business meetings, and trade events to the Philippines, showcasing the country as a viable location for global business activities.

• Convention Bid Preparation
• Meeting Planning and Support
• Marketing to International Meeting Planners
• Coordination with hotels and conference venues

Local Government Units (LGUs) Coordination

LGUs play a vital role in tourism development at the local level. Coordination between the DOT and LGUs ensures alignment of local tourism initiatives with national strategies.

• Development of Local Tourism Plans
• Implementation of DOT Guidelines and Policies
• Maintenance of Local Tourist Attractions
• Coordination with local businesses and communities

Private Sector Collaboration

The collaboration between the DOT and private sectors like hotels, airlines, and travel agencies ensures a cohesive effort in promoting tourism.

• Joint Marketing Initiatives
• Standard Setting and Accreditation
• Investment in Tourism Infrastructure
• Innovation in Products and Services

Future Trends and Prospects

The tourism industry in the Philippines is constantly evolving, embracing new trends and looking ahead to future prospects.

Technology and Tourism

The integration of technology is reshaping the way tourism operates, offering enhanced experiences and more efficient services.

• Digital Marketing: Utilizing online platforms and social media to promote destinations and engage with potential tourists.
• Virtual Reality (VR) Experiences: Offering virtual tours of key attractions like the Chocolate Hills or historic sites, providing a taste of the destination from the comfort of home.
• Online Booking and Management Systems: Streamlining reservations, ticketing, and customer management to make travel planning more convenient for tourists.

Sustainable Tourism Initiatives

Sustainable tourism ensures that the natural and cultural treasures of the Philippines remain preserved for future generations.

• Eco-friendly Accommodations: Encouraging hotels and resorts to adopt green practices, such as solar energy, waste reduction, and water conservation.
• Community Involvement: Promoting tourism projects that benefit local communities, preserving their culture and environment.

Global Competitiveness

• Quality Assurance: Regularly assessing and enhancing the quality of services and facilities to meet international standards.
• Strategic Partnerships: Forming alliances with global tourism organizations and multinational corporations to increase the country’s presence in key markets.
• Tailored Experiences: Developing niche tourism products, such as medical tourism or culinary tourism, to attract diverse segments of the global tourist population.

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Is tourism high in the philippines, what is the most visited place in the philippines, what kind of tourism is in the philippines, why is philippines rich in tourism.

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DOT reports increase in domestic tourism in 2021

The demand for domestic tourism soared in 2021 amid the pandemic, this is according to the data from the Department of Tourism (DOT). The DOT and the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) bared encouraging industry figures in the 2021 Philippine Tourism Satellite Accounts (PTSA) and Tourism Statistics Online Dissemination forum held Tuesday (June 28). According to the PTSA report, domestic tourism recorded a surge tallying 37,279,282 trips in 2021, a 38.16% growth compared to the 26,982,233 trips in 2020. The National Capital Region (1,973,851), followed by CALABARZON (1,953,419), and Central Luzon (1,905,758) were the top overnight destinations for local tourists last year. “The DOT attributes the resurgence of domestic tourism to the collaborative efforts of the national and local government units to standardize health and safety protocols, reinforced by the active participation of tourism stakeholders from the private sector. This, and the Department’s aggressive campaign on domestic tourism carried out with our regional offices, and with the help of local tourism offices across the country, restored Filipinos’ confidence to travel,”  explained DOT Branding and Marketing Communications Assistant Secretary Howard Lance Uyking. To recall, the DOT and the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Philippines spearheaded the “It’s More Fun With You” campaign to encourage Filipinos to travel during the recovery stages of the pandemic. The campaign was heavy on digital promotions, featuring virtual tours, in-depth websites, co-branding initiatives with the private sector, and generating awareness in new platforms. Meanwhile, based on the same report, tourism industries employed about 4.9 million individuals in 2021, 4.6 percent higher than the 4.7 million employed in 2020. Tourism contributed 11.1 percent to the total employment of the country. During the forum, the DOT noted the decline in foreign visitor arrivals as Philippine borders remain closed last year.  The country recorded a total of 163,879 visitors from January to December 2021, a decline of 88.95% from 2020 arrivals of 1,482,535. USA dominated the top visitor markets of the country with 39,326 arrivals. Japan, which ranked fourth in 2020, claimed the second spot with 15,024 arrivals. China followed in third place with 9,674 arrivals. An opportunity market before, India (7,202) rose to fourth place with Canada (6,781) at the fifth spot while Korea, the country’s top source market for many years, fell to 6th place with 6,456 arrivals. Turkey and the United Kingdom ranked 7th and 8th respectively, with each contributing more than 4,000 arrivals. Completing the top 10 markets are Middle East countries United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia with more than 2,000 arrivals each. “PTSA reports have been a critical tool in helping the DOT develop the tourism sector as a significant socio-economic activity, generate foreign exchange, employment, and information dissemination on the importance and benefit of the tourism sector for both private and public sectors,”  DOT OIC-Secretary Edwin Enrile said during his opening remarks at the forum. “Armed with this data and information, the DOT can further improve and refine its current plans and programs, learn from its weaknesses, and pinpoint where our strengths and opportunities lie amidst the pandemic,”  OIC-Secretary Enrile added. Manila, as the country’s main gateway through the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, maintained the lion’s share of the total air arrivals with 142,448 or 86.92%. This is followed by the Mactan-Cebu International Airport which received a total of 11,119 visitors (6.78%), and the Clark International Airport with 9,964 (6.08%) arrivals. Visitor spending or tourist receipts generated in 2021 recorded an estimated PhP 8.49 Billion, a decrease of 89.67% from the visitor receipts of PhP 82.24 Billion recorded in the same period of the previous year. In average, a tourist apparently spent around PhP 7,000 a day in the Philippines and stayed for an average of 10.58 nights.   “We continue to do this (online dissemination forum) because we recognize the considerable contribution of tourism to the Philippine economy and its role and importance in creating opportunities and in generating employment for our kababayans”,  National Statistician Claire Dennis Mapa cited in his keynote message. Tourists mostly visited the Philippines for holiday/leisure with a total of 15.99% purpose of visit followed by business trips (8.11%) and incentive travel (2.66%). The average age of tourists that comes to the Philippines is 39 years old, majority of whom are male travelers registering at about 59.25%, significantly edging female travelers at 40.49%. Meanwhile, according to the Survey on occupancy rates of Hotels in 2021, Metro Manila recorded an average hotel occupancy rate of 60.97%. In the forum hosted by Dr. Maria Cherry Lyn Rodolfo, DOT OIC-Director Warner Andrada presented the 2021 Tourism Industry Performance, while Assistant National Statistician Vivian Ilarina talked about the 2021 PTSA and Dr. Carlos Dela Reyna Jr. of the Bureau of Quarantine (BoQ) discussed the relevance of the One Health Pass (OHP). Meanwhile, DOT Undersecretary Woodrow Maquiling Jr. delivered the closing remarks at the forum. The Tourism Satellite Account is a standard statistical framework and the main tool for the economic measurement of tourism, developed by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), among other statistical organizations, which allows the measurement of the contribution of tourism industries to Philippine economy.

Published:June 29, 2022

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DOT TRAINS BOHOL VENDORS ON FILIPINO BRAND OF SERVICE EXCELLENCE

20 intl, local dive and marine experts take centerstage at PHIDEX 2022

Measures in place to ensure safe travel to PHL – Tourism Chief

FRASCO OPTIMISTIC OF PH TOURISM RESURGENCE, LAUDS CEBU TOURISM SUCCESS

Frasco eyes visitor-friendly, “distinctly Filipino” air, seaports in PHL

DOT celebrates Philippine Accessible Disability Services, Inc. (PADS) Dragon Boat Team historic four gold medal haul

DOT to facilitate interagency effort to strengthen Filipino Brand of Service

DOT to coordinate on quake-hit tourist destinations, heritage sites

PBBM cites tourism as top-priority; orders infra development, enhancement of Filipino brand

DOT chief takes “Listening Tours” to Luzon

DOT Chief affirms support to National Museum of the Philippines; proposes inclusion of museums in tourism circuits

Boracay, Palawan and Cebu hailed World’s Best Islands; DOT celebrates back-to-back accolades for PHL destinations

Marcos push for Tourism Infra strengthens industry, raises PHL global position – DOT Chief

DOT lauds Boracay’s inclusion in TIME’s 50 World’s Greatest Places of 2022

DOT lauds Cebu-based group win in int’l dance competition

Statement of tourism secretary christina garcia frasco on banaue.

Tourism Chief Frasco kicks off listening tours in VisMin, encourages officials to reach out to LGUs, stakeholders

Tourism chief Frasco to go on ‘listening tours’ starting this week

Incoming tourism chief receives warm welcome from employees, vows to bring “LGU perspective” to DOT

DOT’s Philippine International Dive Expo (PHIDEX) returns to Manila next month

First Davao Dive Expo slated on June 24

DOT touts ‘future farms’ as new and sustainable tourist attractions

DOT pitches PHL as ideal retirement destination in Japan Expo

DOT positions New Clark City as premier tourism investment hub

PH’s significant recovery in travel and tourism hot topic in Routes Asia 2022

DOT’s KAIN NA! takes foodies to a multi-sensory adventure

DOT Presents “Escape: Stories from the Road” Podcast

Second (2nd) Online Master TESOL Certification Course

DOT, MMC Foundation partnership brings ER bikes to three Metro Manila tourist sites

DOT spotlights PWDs and women in tourism with new “It’s More Fun for All” campaign

Media release from the department of tourism.

PHL scraps COVID pre-departure test for fully vaccinated, boostered tourists

DENR, DOT and DILG unveil Year of Protected Areas (YoPA) Campaign marking 90th anniversary of Protected Area establishment in the Philippines

Department of Tourism and Mickey Go Philippines introduce Pinoy Mickey Funko Pops

DOT launches “Keep the Fun Going” sustainable tourism campaign with gamified challenges

DOT reminds AEs on proper flag etiquette

DOT 49th Anniversary speech of the Tourism Secretary

DOT pushes for 100% vaccination of active tourism workers

DOT calls for lowering of testing price cap, certification of more saliva test facilities

PHL may be next filming location as Tourism Summit brings in Hollywood execs

WTTC Investment Tour Highlights Viable Opportunities in Clark, Central Luzon

WTTC lauds PH successful hosting of Int’l tourism Summit

Closing and Congratulatory Message during the Closing Ceremony of the 21st WTTC Global Summit of the DOT Secretary

WTTC: ‘Astonishing Recovery’ for Philippines’ tourism sector

World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) Exhibition Booths

WTTC Opening Ceremony Welcome Remarks of the DOT Secretary

WTTC bullish on PH tourism recovery amid Covid-19 pandemic

PHL Foreign tourist arrivals breach 200k mark – DOT Chief

DOT, partner agencies celebrate Filipino Food Month

WTTC announces speakers for its 21st Global Summit in the Philippines

DOT seeks return of Korean tourists, PH’s top market

DOT inks partnership with PNP, PDEA to beef up security in tourist destinations

DOT Launches Digital Travel Magazine “7641”

PHL says “All systems go for full reopening on April 1”; Removes EED as entry requirement

Phl logs more than 100,000 visitor arrivals since feb. 10 reopening.

DOT meets with Japanese tourism execs to boost inbound tourism arrivals

Statement of the DOT on hotel rooms occupancy guidelines

PH opens doors to all foreign tourists with easing of arrival requirements starting April 1

Travel to PHL is “easier”, more fun – Puyat

DOT Launches “Sounds More Fun in the Philippines” Playlist on Spotify

DOT hopeful on higher tourism growth with downgrading of NCR, 38 areas to Alert Level 1

Intramuros visitors up by 132% in February

DOT bares higher tourist influx since reopening

Dot welcomes iatf approval to accept the national vaxcert of 12 additional countries.

PH receives 9,283 inbound tourists; DOT upbeat on higher arrivals in months ahead

Puyat: Walk-in booster shots available for Boracay visitors

All systems go for PHL reopening for international travel- Puyat

Kids’ vaccination to make family travels safe, more fun

DOT lists requirements and protocols for arriving foreign leisure guests

Save the date for the World Travel & Tourism Council Global Summit in the Philippines

DOT: PH to accept fully-vaxxed tourists from visa-free countries starting Feb. 10

DOT supports ‘Pharmacy and Drive-thru Vaccination Sites’ rollout in Baguio City

DOT Launches “ASMR Experience the Philippines” Project

Dot to hold 2-day conference on english as second language (esl).

PH cities, hotels bag ASEAN tourism awards

Booster shots rolled out for fully vaxxed tourism workers; 50% of NCR hotel staff already “boosted”

DOT trains over 30,000 tourism professionals amid pandemic

Dot welcomes eased travel movement between gcq and mgcq areas for tourism revival, hotel in ‘poblacion girl” fiasco suspended, fined, intramuros gives vulnerable population a breathing space, dot launches website with exclusive travel deals for balikbayans.

Anilao Underwater Shootout stages a successful comeback

DOT’s KAIN NA! makes a comeback in Tagaytay

Dot earns unwto citation for have a safe trip, pinas ad.

Brgy. Bojo in Aloguinsan, Cebu bags UNWTO best tourism village award

More than 95% of tourism workers in dive establishments already vaccinated against covid-19: dot.

DOT: PHL to welcome Int’l tourists soon

Dot welcomes shortened quarantine days for balikbayans, dot asks lgus to simplify entry requirements in tourist spots, miceconnect 2021 positions boracay as asia’s premier bleisure destination, dot releases latest list of domestic destinations waiving rt-pcr tests for fully vaxxed visitors, dot grants incentives to fully vaccinated individuals visiting intramuros.

Statement of the DOT on waiving RT-PCR requirement to Boracay for fully vaxxed tourists

Anilao underwater ‘shootout’ is back

Puyat, dot execs pitch ph tourism in japan travel mart, dot welcomes eased restrictions in mm under alert level 2, free swab tests for domestic tourists starting nov. 1, dot lists destinations without testing requirement, with projected 100% inoculation rate by next month, boracay will soon waive rt-pcr testing for fully vaxxed visitors.

Domestic Travel Welcome-Back: DOT, TPB launch ‘It’s More Fun with You’ ad and ‘Have a Safe Trip, Pinas’ Viber Stickers

22 divers pass dot guide training in anilao.

PH cited Asia’s top beach and dive destination anew in 2021 World Travel Awards

Dot bullish on camiguin’s reopening, boosts covid-19 vax drive, dot clarifies travel guidelines for ncr residents under alert level 4, alert level 3, good for tourism jobs and businesses as holidays near – puyat, 2nd tourism & technology forum: readying for a different future.

DOT vaccination drive for tourism workers continues in Pampanga

Dot welcomes easing of age restrictions for interzonal travel, less quarantine days for travelers an ‘encouraging development’ for tourism industry – puyat.

Vaccination of Rizal tourism workers crucial to industry’s recovery — DOT

Dot welcomes siargao, palawan and boracay win in int’l travel mag awards, over 43k safety seals issued as more businesses apply, dot backs call to shorten quarantine of fully vaxxed travelers, dot calls for cooperation to ensure success of expanded operational capacity of restaurants in ncr.

DOT lauds Samar LGU vax drive for tourism workers

Message of secretary berna romulo-puyat on the celebration of world tourism day, dot ensures compliance of accredited hotels, resorts to new iatf alert level system guidelines.

Cebu vax drive for tourism workers gains traction with more than 50% inoculated

Puyat bares phl hosting of international tourism conference in march 2022.

DOT and TikTok launch #GandaMoPinas Campaign as local borders reopen

Dot invites esl teachers to free online master tesol certification course.

DOT launches “More Fun Awaits” global campaign to showcase travel preps

Statement of the department of tourism (dot), statement of the department of tourism on the inclusion of palawan in t+l’s top islands in asia, world list, more than 50% of country’s tourism workers vaccinated against covid-19 – dot chief, intramuros site visit of dot secretary berna romulo-puyat.

Intramuros sites and Rizal Park to reopen September 16

Philippines boosts participation in expo 2020 dubai, highlights pinoy food, local tourism businesses receive dot, tpb philcare kits.

DOT, partner agencies drive up promotion of Filipino food experience

More than 7.5k tourism workers in Baguio have received Covid vax – Tourism Chief

Dot, tpb distribute p19m worth of materials to promote safety protocols.

DOT, NTF bring vaccination rollout for tourism workers in Siargao Island

DOT: 95% of tourism workers in NCR vaxxed vs Covid-19

Sustainability is key to tourism industry’s recovery — puyat, dot lauds private sector for vaccine rollout in el nido.

PHITEX 2021: Beyond Business slated for September 19-23

Puyat leads vaccination drive for Pampanga tourism workers

More than 75% of Bohol tourism workers eyed for inoculation with second vaccine roll-out

More than 70% of tourism frontliners in metro manila vaccinated vs covid-19 — puyat.

DOT and TPB SUCCESSFULLY STAGED FIRST-EVER HYBRID EDITION OF THE REGIONAL TRAVEL FAIR

Dot, bpos to hold job fair, statement of the department of tourism.

DOT targets increased inoculation of tourism workers in more destinations

Puyat: More vaccines coming for Palawan tourism workers

Dot statement on nesthy petecio’s silver medal finish in the tokyo 2020 olympics, rizal park drive-thru vax site opens; puyat hails manila’s anti-covid initiative, dot gets highest coa rating for 2nd straight year, statement of the department of tourism on the passing of heritage and cultural tourism advocate mr. ramon hofileña, statement of the department of tourism (dot) on the heightened community quarantine level implementations in ncr, more tourism workers in boracay to receive covid-19 jabs – dot, dot reiterates call for safe travel amid stricter quarantine measure, dot reminds hotels, resorts that room sharing for quarantined families is allowed, dot celebrates siargao inclusion in time magazine as one of the world’s greatest places of 2021, dot launches halal food tourism, dot backs gov’t infra program to boost tourism, dot backs iloilo bid for ‘creative city of gastronomy’ recognition from unesco, statement of the department of tourism on iatf decision allowing children five years old and above, and fully vaccinated seniors to visit outdoor areas, dot partners with viber to promote kain na foodfest, dot: 3,000 boracay tourism workers to receive covid vax, dot, tpb continues to support lgus with digital transformation projects, dot teams up with scarlet belo and cartoon network to take safe trips, dot statement on the activities of the taal volcano, bakuna by the sea: dot hails davao’s innovative approach to travel, hospitality workers, dot, tpb to roll out 2nd phase of rt-pcr financial subsidy program through pcmc, dot unveils region 1 tourism recovery plan, statement of the department of tourism on the drop of tourism contribution to gdp, dot to co-stage virtual fête de la musique june 18-21, more ncr tourism workers receive support through dot-dole program, travel for tourists of all ages from ncr plus to boracay, other mgcq areas extended to june 30, dot eyes inoculation of 5,000 bohol tourism workers, museums in ncr plus to reopen on limited capacity – dot, dot turns food tourism to high heat with 2021 kain na, terms for tourism business loans eased, dot bares tourism recovery plans for bulacan, dot and tiktok launch #sarapmagingpinoy campaign to promote local food tourism, dot launches five-year plan to develop tourism professionals, dot celebrates world environment month, highlights responsible marine wildlife interactions, statement of the department of tourism (dot) on the rt-pcr requirement for leisure travelers under iatf-eid resolution 118a, statement of the dot on iatf-eid resolution 118a, more than 16k bulacan tourism workers get dot-dole cash aid, dot orders stricter monitoring of staycation hotels and aes in gcq areas following new iatf guidelines, dot lauds inclusion of frontline tourism workers in a1 priority group, dot hosts pata summit for first hybrid mice event in 2021, over 1,400 golf workers in metro manila get dot-dole cash aid.

Central Luzon to Showcase ‘Flavors of Pampanga’, readies tourists for gastronomic experience

Dot lauds ph hotels recognized with the 2021 tripadvisor awards, 3,390 tourism workers in marinduque approved to receive p16.95m dot-dole cash aid, puyat bares tourism recovery plans for marinduque, dot proposes ‘green lane’ for fully vaccinated travelers, dot hails expansion of priority vaccination to a4 cluster, including tourism frontliners, 5,986 staycation rooms open for guests from ncr plus, intramuros to open fort santiago, baluarte de san diego to visitors may 17, dot statement on the proposed vaccination center in nayong pilipino, dot welcomes iatf decision to ease travel in ncr plus, 221m cash aid approved for 44k tourism workers in western visayas, statement of the department of tourism (dot) on the collected garbage from the waters of samal island, davao del norte, statement of the department of tourism (dot) on the reported violations of a hotel in davao city, dot to host hybrid pata annual event for adventure travel, p1.5m cash aid approved for 295 intramuros tourism workers, updates on the vaccination of tourism workers, labor day vax for tourism workers, more than 400k displaced tourism workers get dot-dole cash aid, philippine tourism and mice industry to bounce back with the hosting of wttc global summit, dot, manila lgu ink mobile hospital deal, dot-accredited establishment staysafe.ph-users, eligible for safety seal certification, dot grants the wttc safe travels stamp to 33 more hotels nationwide, dot welcomes proposals to convert tourism sites to temporary medical facilities, dot lauds repurposed hotels, calls for ‘bayanihan’ vs covid, dot approves use of burnham green and quirino grandstand in rizal park for temporary mobile hospital and drive-thru vaccination site, dot celebrates saud beach inclusion in the 25 most beautiful beaches in the world list of travel and leisure, 67k displaced tourism workers of ncr+ receive dot-dole cash aid, statement of the department of tourism on the vaccination facility in nayong pilipino property, statement of the department of tourism regarding the alleged birthday “super spreader” event in boracay, dot eyes adoption of covid-19 digital travel pass, dot statement on ecq extension in ncr plus, phl, dot nominated at asia edition of 2021 world travel awards, dot pushes for inclusion of other tourism workers in priority group a4, strict new guidelines set for hotels under ecq; lenten ‘staycations’ within ncr plus suspended, dot statement on ecq for ncr+ areas, dot statement on holy week, rizal park and paco park adjust visiting hours, remain open for physical exercise, dot statement on biatf measures for boracay, tpb philippines spearheads tourism and technology forum (ttf), dot statement on coron tourist with falsified travel documents, dot supports rizal tourism circuit on food, faith, art, adventure and nature, the ‘fun’ continues: philippines joins digital itb berlin, dot to spur domestic tourism in rizal, dot’s stdp program to enhance resiliency of phl destinations – puyat, dot sustains online presence with ‘wake up in ph’ campaign and safety travel advisories, dot greenlights partial operations of hotel restaurants on june 15, dot eyes tourism recovery as more destinations may reopen, domestic travel to drive recovery of tourism industry, says survey, dot hails revival of tourist cops, tourism will recover well, dot chief vows, dot celebrates hidden beach, palawan’s inclusion in cnt’s best beaches in the world, tourism industry hikes share in gdp to 13%; puyat sees strong recovery from pandemic, dot pushes stringent guidelines for stakeholders across the nation, biatf denounces travelers’ breach of entry protocol to boracay, dot lauds partnership model for safe and sustainable tourism in boracay, dot issues guidelines on tourist land transport services, iatf–eid resolution reiterates ‘dot certificate of authority’ as requisite to operate, dot issues protocols on restaurant operations under the new normal, dot welcomes ph ‘rising stars in travel’ citation by forbes.com, dot, dti to roll out health and safety guidelines, digital solutions for restaurants, dot, attached agencies promote digital tourism, tourism chief reminds hotels, resorts: no dot certificate, no business operations during mgcq, dot assists 36,000 tourists during covid-19 crisis, dot webinar tackles digital as the new normal, dot welcomes the resumption of tourism operations in areas under mgcq, trust and health safety key to phl tourism recovery – dot chief, puyat on reopening tourism: ‘do it slowly but surely’, dot brings home 84 tourists stranded in eastern visayas, dot supports coron’s sustainable tourism development to bounce back, dot welcomes puerto princesa reopening to domestic tourists, dot urges for more wttc safe travels stamp applications, boracay’s white beach, el nido’s nacpan beach among tripadvisor’s top beaches in asia, dot statement on uniform travel protocols, dot supports the safe reopening of negros oriental, puyat affirms support for siquijor’s reopening, dot statement on el nido’s swift action against tourists with false covid test records, dot supports dilg’s streamlining of travel requirements, dot assists 98 stranded tourists in western mindanao, dot assists 246 tourists stranded in bicol, dot response team assists 1004 tourists stranded in caraga region, statement of tourism secretary bernadette romulo-puyat, dot8 springs stranded tourists, total assisted travelers now at 11,000, dot assists stranded tourists in central luzon, dot response teams assist over 10,000 travelers, dot announces the guidelines on hotels and other accommodation establishments during the enhanced community quarantine, dot chief: innovation to spur food tourism in new normal, dot webinar tackles heritage site conservation and use amid pandemic, dot banners “filipino brand of service”; assists over 35,000 tourists amid pandemic, dot to jumpstart domestic tourism under stricter protocols with iatf and lgus, dot partners with wttc to share experts’ tourism outlook, recovery plans, dot regulates hotel food deliveries, dot: tourism industry up to tough challenges on path to recovery, more than 155,000 tourism sector workers receive first tranche of dof wage subsidy program, dot mounts sweeper flights; brings home 1000 stranded domestic tourists, dot webinar tackles recovery, future of phl’s m.i.c.e., statement of the department of tourism (dot) on the iatf–eid authorization to mount sweeper flights, statement of secretary bernadette romulo puyat on the passing of former dot secretary ramon jimenez, jr., dot–ncr assists 24,000 in–transit nationals amid ecq of luzon, dot and ssi support philippine food producers in online philippine harvest, dot provides virtual backgrounds for video calls to encourage “travel from home”, dot offers online “enhanced opportunity” training for tourism stakeholders, dot-region 6 delivers filipino brand of service in crisis, dot outlines tourism response, post–covid 19 recovery plan to aid private sector, dot issues guidelines defining “new normal” for accommodation establishments, 24,836 hotel rooms reserved for ofws’ quarantine, bpo staff use – dot chief, stranded tourists welcome extended stay in batanes, dot welcomes lifting of travel ban for outbound passengers, recovery flights, tourism transport to continue for stranded passengers, statement of the department of tourism (dot) on covid-19 local transmission, dot statement on the curfew recommendation for lgus, dot, turkish airlines form partnership to increase philippine tourism from europe and mediterranean source markets, dot celebrates first run of the philippine international hot air balloon fiesta in calabarzon, puyat convenes tourism council; invites public to travel within ph, international visitor receipts hit usd 9.31b in 2019, 20.81% up from 2018, dot postpones nationwide mall sale to prioritize safety of citizens, department of tourism unveils new ad inspired by the abakada alphabet, highlighting unique filipino culture, puyat advocates for cultural and ecotourism in the new normal, relive the history of intramuros city with augmented reality app experience philippines, dot: 1st phl shopping fest kicks off march 1st, doh, dilg and dot give public gatherings green light, 2019 international arrivals exceed target with 8.26 million visitors to the philippines, dot welcomes lifting of taiwan travel ban, joint statement of the department of tourism and tourism congress of the philippines, dot backs “balik sa bohol” for tourism industry revival, intramuros reopens in the new normal, relaxed and standard health protocols, personalized trips key to tourism recovery, says latest philippine travel survey, dot files falsification raps against boracay tourists with forged covid test results, dot: reclassification of industries to hasten recovery, dot statement following the president’s latest directive to contain the ncov, guidelines in handling guests in tourism enterpises in the advent of ncov global health emergency, puyat eyes isabela as top agro-ecotourism destination, dot, dti inspect hotels and restaurants’ compliance with health and safety protocols, dot chief checks readiness of palawan, fresh produce at your doorstep, courtesy of dot–grab tie–up, dot ‘seal of good housekeeping’ boosts confidence among restos amid pandemic – puyat, dot celebrates as palawan reclaims best island in the world citation, tourism chief bullish on english schools’ recovery, dot, fao team up for sustainable farm tourism in ph, meetings, conventions allowed only under mgcq at 50% capacity – dot, boracay now open to youths, seniors from region, dot chief lauds senate approval of bayanihan 2 on final reading, cites plans for 10b stimulus fund, “think out of the box,” tourism industry urged in dot webinar, dot assures tourist stakeholders of all–out support for slow reopening, puyat meets with bohol execs to tackle tourism situation, recovery plans, dot, cloud panda ph launches phl harvest e-commerce site, statement of dot, dot to scale up baguio’s ridge to reef travel bubble plan across phl, dot celebrates “surprisingly spectacular diving” tag of 3 phl dive sites by lonely planet, phl bags best overseas diving award 2020, statement of department of tourism, dot’s phidex 2020 goes digital, dot-dole amended jmc further expands coverage of beneficiaries, dot welcomes new protocols for arriving passengers, dot bats for a more fun, safe and sustainable laguna, dot chief: green corridors are critical to tourism recovery, dot statement on destination test requirements, dot statement on boracay tourists, dot welcomes asean as a single tourism destination, iatf allows baguio hotels to receive domestic tourists under gcq, raising the bar of filipino hospitality with the leadership excellence series 2021, dot lauds inclusion of tourism frontliners in priority group for vaccination, dot’s ‘kain na’ cooks up online food fest, phl hosts 3rd asean meet on tourism professionals; dot commits to beef up competency of tourism workforce in the new normal, safety marshalls to ensure physical distancing when beaches, resorts reopen, 10,000 bpo jobs for displaced tourism workers, zero interest loans, no collateral, easy terms for distressed tourism businesses, puyat to grace baguio reopening; dot to go big on domestic tourism in 2021, chocolate, coffee, tea take centerstage in dot’s kain na food festival, dot receives safetravels stamp from world tourism body, puyat launches baguio’s vis.i.t.a. platform, reopening of boracay to more markets builds momentum for domestic tourism revival, puyat: even in most unusual ways, tourism must stay alive, message of tourism secretary bernadette romulo-puyat on the celebration of the world tourism day, dot statement on the city garden grand hotel, dot chief supports negrense cookbook launch, vows continued support to thriving food tourism scene in western visayas, dot statement on the closure of makati shangri-la hotel, dot pledges to help negros occidental get ready for more domestic tourists, dot welcomes the first two recipients of the wttc safe travel stamp, dot statement on baguio party incident, dot welcomes iatf decision to allow balikbayans, dot launches “have a safe trip, pinas” to promote safe travels and support tourism workers, dot celebrates ph’s victory as world’s leading dive destination and tourist attraction for intramuros in 2020, dot welcomes coron’s reopening on dec. 1 with health and safety measures in place, dot aims for data-driven response to tourism recovery under new normal with survey, dot backs enhanced contact tracing; announces low-cost covid tests with up-pgh for boracay-bound tourists, puyat encourages affected tourism workforce to avail of the expanded dot-dole financial assistance, dot welcomes strides to reboot mice, puyat visits batangas, shores up dive tourism, statement of the dot on cebu resort incident, dot presents virtual concert to promote manila’s cultural heritage sites, dot, makatimed foundation forge partnership for tourism destination health security, dot launches webinar training on reducing single-use plastics for hospitality sector, dot to assist zambales in safe and gradual tourism reopening, dot bats for uniform lgu travel requirements, dot, tpb promote pinoy christmas through music, dot’s 2020 kain na satisfies christmas cravings on fourth leg, dot’s 2020 kain na satisfies christmas cravings on fourth leg, dot prepares local destinations, accommodation establishments for wttc safe travels stamp application, 27,000 displaced tourism workers of car receive dot-dole financial assistance, dot backs temporary suspension of flights from uk, dot inspires balikbayans to come home with ‘balikan ang pilipinas’ campaign, dot, tpb expand rt-pcr financial subsidy program for 11,600 tourists through pcmc, dot reiterates penalties for quarantine hotels used for staycation and other purposes, dot supports strict entry protocols in light of new covid-19 variant, dot reiterates rule on staycation hotels, dot celebrates boracay and palawan inclusion in conde nast’s 25 best island beaches in the world list, dot issues guidelines for safe ‘staycation’, dot accreditation goes digital, boracay reopens, heralds “safe, gradual” revival of philippine tourism, dot gets coa’s highest rating on 2019 audit, dot sees domestic tourism boom in baguio with affordable antigen testing, phl islands named top favorites by int’l travel magazine, dot welcomes reopening of ilocos norte to luzon tourists on oct 15, dot funds rt-pcr testing of boracay tourism workers, dot inks tourism “cares for travel” msme loan program with sb corp, health, safety rules drawn up for recreational diving, batangas now open to divers – dot, puyat reminds ‘staycation hotels’ to follow rules, protocols, dot welcomes baguio city’s opening to guests from luzon starting oct. 22, dot statement on the opening of ilocos sur starting nov 15, ridge and reef corridor heralds domestic tourism recovery, puyat – hotels in gcq, mgcq may now be allowed to operate at full capacity, pra to amend retirement policies, suspends processing of srrv applications, dot supports expansion of palawan’s travel bubble starting oct. 30, tourism chief bats for covid-19 tests price cap, dot urges tourism businesses to avail of sb corp’s covid-19 loan program, dot leadership excellence series returns anew, dot statement on the inclusion of palawan and boracay in big 7 travel’s list of 50 most beautiful places, dot, tpb launch official philippine travel app, dot, dole agree on guidelines for cash-for-work program for displaced tourism workers, tour guides, dot’s kain na takes on food trips for november, intramuros is now asia’s leading tourist attraction the philippines and dot receive accolades at the 2020 world travel awards asia winners day, statement of the department of tourism on prrd’s signing of eo 118, dot inks mou on tourism education, training, dot partners with nissan to promote ‘safe trips’, dot allows operation of 7,200 hotels, resorts, dot lauds ibagiw 2020, baguio’s creative city festival, dot welcomes reopening of phl’s surfing capital, siargao, ridge and reef travel corridor expands to ilocos sur, dot chief visits baguio city, touts cultural tourism with creative crawls, sec. puyat to grace 2020 bambanti festival, dot allocates p340.7m for iloilo tourism infrastructure development, tourist arrivals mark 7.4m in november, up by 15.58%, safety of tourists is dot’s top priority – sec. puyat, dot, cab collaborate to enhance air passenger’s bill of rights, statement of the department of tourism, 2nd statement of the department of tourism, dot thanks smart for emergency satellite phones, dot–dotr meet to boost tourism infra, connectivity; puyat to push approval of 1b for night–rated airports, dot chief to visit, vows to revitalize baguio, tourism chief: phl one with asean in responding to covid crisis.

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Multi-level collaboration key to Philippines’ tourism revival: new chief

The Philippines’ new tourism secretary, Christina Garcia Frasco, said collaboration between the national government, local government units (LGUs) and all tourism stakeholders from the private and public sectors is the best way forward to revitalise tourism.

“It is this inclusive, sustainable, innovative, and collaborative tourism governance that I intend to bring to the Department of Tourism,” Frasco, told the media and the Department of Tourism (DoT) officers and employees.

Frasco’s perspective is honed by her local government experience as two-term mayor of Liloan in the province of Cebu. Her third term was cut short by her appointment to the DoT.

A lawyer by training and profession, she believes “that national and local government cooperation is imperative for our tourism plans and programmes to succeed”.

“If we uplift the status of one LGU, and translate that to the over 1,400 plus municipalities, 81 provinces, hundreds of cities across the country, uplifting each of their economies will uplift the economy of our nation as a whole,” she said.

“What I intend to bring to the Department of Tourism, is the perspective of valuing the input of LGUs in the crafting of national policy, considering that the policies that are crafted nationally will be implemented by the LGUs on the ground. And so it is imperative that in crafting national policy, we must seek the practical knowledge of those that are in the front lines,” she added.

Frasco also noted the importance of spreading tourism development to the countryside by giving “equal opportunity for promotion and product development” to the countryside and lesser-known tourist destinations, “the idea being that we improve the overall tourist experience, not only to bring back the tourism numbers that have been lost, but also to harness potential markets to further increase the number of tourists that will come into the country.”

She plans to take a “multidimensional approach to tourism”, where the focus is not only on natural resources but also on developing and promoting people and products.

Seeing how domestic tourism was a lifesaver for the industry when international travel was absent, Frasco will develop this sector to drive vast opportunities to small businesses and improve livelihood.

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Rebooting Philippine Tourism from the COVID-19 Pandemic

Revitalizing tourism activities has become one of the primary concerns for the Philippines. In the short run, domestic tourism is expected to play a vital role in supporting the initial recovery phase of travel. With its presumed impact on travelers’ behavior and business operations, an analysis of the Filipino travelers’ sentiments and the existing domestic travel market is necessary in presenting effective strategies in the midst of the new normal in Philippine travel.

Introduction

The Philippine tourism economy has been heavily hit by the measures implemented to contain the spread of COVID-19. The pandemic has prompted an unprecedented crises with projections and revised scenarios suggesting that the shock in global tourism could be at 60-80% for the entire 2020, translating to a loss of approximately 67 million international arrivals or USD 80 billion in exports from tourism, while putting 100 to 120 million direct tourism jobs at risk. While affecting all economies, the Asia-Pacific region has been projected to suffer with the highest impact, affecting about 33 million arrivals (United Nations World Tourism Organization [UNWTO], 2020).

Tourism is a significant pillar in many economies in the region, especially in the Philippines, where in 2019, it contributed 12.7% share in the country’s GDP, and employed 14 out of 100 or 5.7 million of Filipinos (Philippine Statistics Authority [PSA], 2020). Following the outbreak of the pandemic, estimates for the first three months of 2020 suggest that revenue from foreign arrivals decreased by 35%, and employment in the industry may be reduced by about 33,800 to 56,600 (CGTN, 2020). Several months into the implementation of  stay-at-home  and quarantine policies, travel in the Philippines remains uncertain. Travel restrictions and limits in people-to-people interactions are likely to be in place for a long period of time, thus bringing the industry to a standstill.

With the expectation that domestic travel will recover faster than international tourism, insights on the possible strategies that can help bootstrap the Philippine tourism economy should be discussed. Critical to this approach is an understanding of the Filipino travelers’ sentiments towards travel and a marketing analysis which scrutinizes ways to revive travel demand and resume operations in the face of the new normal in tourism. This article will look into the variety of conducted surveys regarding travel perceptions and will reintroduce the concept of  space travel  to guide the creation of strategies towards travel in the new normal.

Redefining Travel in the New Normal: The Filipino Travelers’ Sentiments

In these times of uncertainty in the outlook of travel in the Philippines, a data-driven approach to support the revival of the industry has become an imperative. During the period of March to May 2020, several public and private organisations deemed it necessary to conduct surveys to understand stakeholders’ perceptions on travel in relation to the pandemic. Given mobility restrictions, surveys have been conducted online while targeting a range of stakeholders from enterprises, decision makers, to tourists. Conducted in varying time frames, general survey results suggest that travel sentiments might have evolved over periods of time. Insights on travel perceptions are necessary in crafting strategies for tourism recovery. Thus, consumer perception on the future of travel should be taken into consideration in planning interventions and strategies. Table 1 presents the surveys conducted in relation to travel and pandemic.

Photo credit: https://bit.ly/3ag2GUz

From the results of the surveys, several insights about the future of travel in the Philippines were made: First, domestic travel will be a priority. Travelers opt to either engage in land travel or air travel. Second, travelers will prioritise travel in rural, secluded, and natural areas once restrictions are lifted. Travel away from mainstream and overcrowded destinations are expected, although beach destinations are still considered ideal destinations post-pandemic. Furthermore, due to the restrictions imposed by the pandemic, travelers are now more open to digital travel experiences. Similarly, travelers are likely to choose customised travel experiences over packaged group tours. Third, health and safety protocols will be their number one priority once travel resumes. Thus, effective communication of safety measures and protocols implemented in destinations and enterprises will greatly influence travel choices. Perception towards the health and safety in travel will therefore predict where travelers will travel, when they will be traveling, and what kind of experiences they hope to obtain. Fourth, while domestic travel is expected to resume within four to twelve months after easing of travel restrictions, sentiments are primarily dictated by perceptions on public health and safety. Finally, given that the pandemic has affected people’s source of income and their personal finances, travelers seek more cost-effective experiences.

Re-Introducing  Space Travel

As emphasised in the webinar entitled  Space travel: A conversation on strategies to revitalize Philippine tourism post-COVID-19  ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zq-Co_DWg8E ) hosted by the AIM- Dr. Andrew L. Tan Center for Tourism last 28 July 2020, much has been said about the world getting smaller, we forget that the world is actually big. There are still so many places to explore and to visit, much to learn and to unlearn. Overcrowding (i.e.,  mass tourism ) is no longer an option because of the established physical/social distancing, health and safety protocols that require decongestion of tourist attractions. To care for earth by giving nature room to flourish, to give fellow travellers the room to breathe, to explore, to grow, to reflect and participate in the lives of others, and to give destination stakeholders time to recover from visitor activities is the essence of  space travel . It is a literal practise of giving each other and the earth space.

Tourists who routinely return to familiar destinations are considered  second home tourists . These tourists are in the best position to care for a destination because they are invested in this as their go-to place for sanctuary. On the other hand, for those who travel to experience destinations from a distance, risking the alteration of local behaviour and culture are deemed  fishbowl tourists . By including activities that increase their involvement in local custom, rather than just mere observation can transform these tourists and their attitude towards travel. Those who immerse themselves and make their experience a journey is called the  inspired travellers , who imbibe sustainable tourism when they protect and safeguard the earth by their conscious defence and accountability of environments and travel behaviour.

Until restrictions are lifted and travelling returns to normal, tourism needs to adjust and adapt to reflect the present restrictions, initiating a new way of serving travellers called  transition tourism . This type of tourism distributes the business amongst many stakeholders – accommodations, transportation, alimentation, security, and sanitation – in small groups triggering a collaborative rebooting of a local economy in many areas. Thus, for space travel to take root, transition tourism must inspire fishbowl and mass tourists to become inspired travellers (see Figure 1).

By working together, stakeholders and travellers alike, in stimulating local economies as a tight organism is to  think small . It reduces the unwieldiness of the task of re-booting economies and industries. When each one of us does our little bits, we can save our big world by thinking small.

Moving Forward: From Crisis Response to Recovery

Further discussions, through webinars, have been initiated among experts and stakeholders on rebooting Philippine tourism. In the webinar titled  Bootstrapping Philippine tourism: Recalibrating our priorities during and after COVID-19  ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kNhIZqy92I ) hosted by the AIM-Dr. Andrew L. Tan Center for Tourism last 03 June 2020, the following discussions have been featured: best practices on how tourism industries recover from disasters; strategies on how tourism stakeholders can manage COVID-19’s impacts; and insights on resilient recovery from a disaster risk-reduction management lens and how these can be applied for tourism recovery efforts.

During the webinar, Aileen C. Clemente (President, Rajah Travel Corporation) highlighted the following lessons from the pandemic: “it takes a while for people to get from philosophical discussion to general frame working to actual implementation”; “those who had a lot of excuses not to implement what needed to be implemented have no choice but to now implement them; and “greed has been tempered”. From these, Clemente cited the four stages of recovery as per the World Travel & Tourism Council – managing and mitigating the crisis, restarting the sector’s operations, reaching recovery, and redesign for the new normal.

In line with this, Maria Cherry Lyn S. Rodolfo (Consultant, Department of Tourism) explicated that the tourism industry must have a calibrated recovery plan, in which domestic tourism should be given priority. That is, tourism authorities and enterprises must incessantly develop safety and health protocols that will ensure domestic travel is safe, secure, and seamless. Rodolfo also emphasised that the pandemic warranted the need for “strong, innovative, and responsive network” in moving towards recovery, reset, and resiliency. Rodolfo also highlighted the role of “cohesive and collaborative networks” in tourism reboot. There should be: call to action for inclusive recovery assistance, innovation, infrastructure, and institutional strengthening; community engagement in utilizing the resources of networks and in leveraging local with national and international networks; and a communication plan that will cascade tourism reboot strategies to both existing strong and weak networks in the industry.

In doing so, Clemente argued that in the new normal, repositioning product offerings, raising levels of service, defining world-class destination, re-examining consumption of tourism products and services, and increasing awareness about mass tourism are essential. Similarly, Lesley Jeanne Y. Cordero (Senior Disaster Risk Management Specialist, World Bank) stressed that in transitioning towards the new normal, there is a need to redefine tourist experience and destination management; invest in innovative and creative ways of product development; promote sustainability, inclusivity, and resiliency; recalibrate travel timelines, concepts, spaces and experiences; shift and share burden by collaborating with government, stakeholders, communities and tourists.  

While information about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has already dominated discourses on tourism, only a few discussions have been made regarding strategies to accelerate tourism recovery. With tourism activities at a standstill, an opportunity to adapt new models for conducting tourism activities has opened. More than ever, the role of tourism stakeholders in transitioning to the new normal has become more apparent.

In addressing the question on how tourism can recover after the COVID-19 pandemic, we analysed existing data regarding travel perceptions and conducted a marketing analysis to identify ways to revive travel demand and operations in the new normal. Our analysis suggest that existing business models may have become obsolete, thereby needing adjustments and re-assessments. While travel restrictions remain, transition tourism takes place. Crucial at this period is considering travelers’ perceptions and sentiments. Following the findings in the various surveys conducted, travelers are expected to engage in tourism activities with health and safety as their priority, which further suggests their preference towards natural areas and uncrowded destinations, digital travel, and customised experiences.

Reflected by these findings is a paradigm shift in the future of travel—from  fishbowl tourism  to  inspired travellers,  which also tantamount to a shift from mass tourism to a more sustainable form of tourism. However, this shift does not occur without the collaborative rebooting of the local economy by using local tourism as a springboard. Thus, stakeholders need to work together, along with tourists, to create a tightly knit industry that fosters  thinking small .

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Dr. Andrew L. Tan Center for Tourism

Tourism in the Philippines pp 119–135 Cite as

Tourism Accreditation in the Philippines: Government and Private Sector Perspectives

• Reil Cruz 5  
• First Online: 28 September 2022

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Part of the book series: Perspectives on Asian Tourism ((PAT))

This chapter describes the status of the mandatory accreditation system for primary tourism enterprises (PTEs) in the Philippines and identifies issues surrounding its implementation. A multi-method case study was utilized, including content analysis of online news articles, and focus group discussion data. Results indicated that while accreditation rates have increased, adoption has generally been lacking across the tourism sub-sectors. In addition, the imposition of additional requirements, inconsistent enforcement, DOT’s expansion of the scope of accredited establishments, high cost of compliance, inability of the DOT to protect the accredited PTEs from unfair competition, and private sector’s creativity in circumventing accreditation, were seen as the major challenges in the implementation of the mandatory accreditation system. Based on the results from this study, policy recommendations and future research directions are suggested.

• Accreditation
• Certification
• Philippines

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Mangan, kaon, kain! What to expect at year-long Philippine Eatsperience food fair in Manila

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MANILA, Philippines – It’s a Filipino fiesta all year round!

Just in time for Filipino Food Month, the Department of Tourism (DOT) launched the first “Philippine Eatsperience” on Wednesday, April 3, a local food market that aims to highlight Filipino cuisine as a vessel to attract both domestic and international tourists. 

The food fair is one of the projects under the Philippine Experience Program (PEP), a flagship initiative of DOT.

“We are crafting unique culinary tours and circuits that allow connoisseurs and travelers alike to explore our gastronomic delights at the grassroots level,” Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said at the Philippine Eatsperience launch. 

“Through these, we aim to showcase the diversity and richness of our culinary traditions.” 

Located at Manila’s historical landmarks like Rizal Park and the walled city of Intramuros, regular park goers and tourists alike can taste their way through the Philippines through the fair’s different regional cuisines.

The fair itself exudes the vibrantly diverse culture of our local gastronomy, featuring provincial delicacies, nostalgic treats, and the warm hospitality of the stall owners.

Hungry yet? Here’s what you can look forward to before getting a taste of the Philippine Eatsperience for yourself. Kain na!

No shortage of choices

Visitors can expect delicious, authentic, yet affordable Filipino grub, ranging from underrated regional cuisine to nostalgic street food, as well as iconic pasalubong treats and ice-cold refreshers.

You can also learn a thing or two about where the dishes hail from – every stall has a brief historical description of its offerings and a background of the region they’re from.

Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, and Mimaropa or the Southwestern Tagalog Region are a few of the regional cuisines repped at Philippine Eatsperience.

While there is a variety of food options at both locations, we noticed that there were a few more hefty ulam (viand) options at Intramuros in particular, while Rizal Park’s menu veers towards lighter snacks and merienda (snack) options.

We spotted everything from silogs, kakanin, fresh sugarcane and coconut juice, pancit bagnet, cheese corn, tusok-tusok (skewers). You name it! The fair’s filling viand selection is also worth saving your appetite for, featuring the likes of Cebu lechon, chicken inasal, pork dinuguan, and Bicol express. 

Supporting local

The Philippine Eatsperience showcases more than 30 local food concessionaires and small food businesses, which include merchants from the Kilometro Zero Organization and other community-based groups.

In preparation for the project, vendors have rigorously undergone culinary and food safety workshops or seminars led by the Technical Education And Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).

Philippine Eatsperience merchant Dolores Mendoza has been feeding Intramuros workers and students with her lutong-bahay (home-cooked) meals for more than 40 years now. Not too far from where the Intramuros bazaar is located, Dolores’ eatery is one of many well-loved food spots and karinderyas that originated from the district. They have since relocated to become part of the Philippine Eatsperience for the rest of the year.

“ Pumayag kami na lumipat dito para ma-recognize, ma-boom, at makilala ng husto ang Intramuros, ” Dolores told Rappler. 

(We agreed to relocate so that Intramuros could be further recognized and could boom.) 

She shared that the move is an opportunity for small businesses like theirs to become more visible and attract more customers, making the most out of the steady uptick of tourists visiting the area.

A fiesta for the senses

The fair was strategically set up at the two popular locations. Rizal Park is known to be a prime public outdoor space for social gatherings and picnics, while Intramuros has become its own dynamic lifestyle district, showcasing its rich history while hosting various public events.

To fully enjoy the experience, DOT made sure that live entertainment would accompany every food trip. Philippine Eatsperience will also include a “weekly lineup of food demonstrations and activities” for the public to participate in.

An ongoing celebration of culture

The “Buwan ng Kalutong Filipino” or Filipino Food Month of April looks to uphold Filipino food as an “art form that celebrates and harmonizes our diversities.” 

National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) Executive Director Oscar Caysasay noted that with centuries of colonization along with the realities of globalization and neoliberalism, the Filipino palate has seen numerous indigenous and colonial influences – a melting pot of all these eras.

“Our hapag-kainans , our salo-salos , are constantly changing over time – our proof of our enduring dedication to embrace the culinary traditions and dishes that our ancestors gifted us,” Caysasay said.

Spearheaded by the NCCA alongside the DOT, Department of Agriculture (DA), and the Philippine Culinary Heritage Movement (PCHM), Filipino Food Month is celebrated every April by virtue of Proclamation No. 469, Series of 2018.

Philippine Eatsperience is a yearlong project under the lineup of NCR, regional, and international festivities slated for Filipino Food Month this year . 

Philippines Eatsperience is set to run for one whole year. Its Rizal Park location (Noli Me Tangere Garden) is open from 7 am to 10 pm from Friday to Sunday, while the Intramuros spot (Baluarte Plano de Sta. Isabel) is open daily from 7 am to 5 pm. – Rappler.com

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Limgas na Pangasinan organization launches 2024 pageant

M ANILA, Philippines — Pageant chairperson Maan Tuazon-Guico, together with the local chief executives and tourism officers of the local government units (LGUs) represented, formally introduced the 20 candidates for the Limgas na Pangasinan 2024 pageant to members of the media at the ballroom of The Monarch Hotel in Calasiao recently.

"Gov. Ramon Guico III and I have a lot of advocacy here in Pangasinan that will uplift the culture, arts, and tourism sectors of our province, together with the Sangguniang Panlalawigan. Aside from the title of Limgas na Pangasinan World, two other titles are at stake - the Limgas na Pangasinan Mutya and Limgas na Pangasinan Grand. The three title holders will represent the province in the Miss World Philippines, Mutya ng Pilipinas, and Miss Grand Philippines pageants," shared the province's First Lady.

"Limgas na Pangasinan is a pageant that aims to empower women. It is a platform that gives them purpose, teaches them to pursue their respective advocacy, and have the heart to serve the province. The beneficiary of our outreach program changes from year to year. This year, the recipient is the Pototan Elementary School in Binmaley, where students and the school were, finally, given their own source of clean water," she added.

This year's roster of candidates, in the order they were presented, are:

1) Pearline Joy M. Bayog (Lingayen)

2) Paulie Alexa F. Carnat (Binalonan)

3) Alyssa Jeneveve Padillon (Urdaneta City)

4) Irish Ann D. Caido (Asingan)

5) Rhein Nacynete M. Valdez (San Carlos City)

7) Jenesse Viktoria D. Mejia (Malasiqui)

8) Danica N. Maglalang (Mapandan)

9) Diana Mae B. Pangan (Calasiao)

10) Jary L. Padica (Balungao)

11) Jay Ann Zarate (Manaoag)

12) Reeven L. Sabado (Umingan)

13) Yra May M. Secretario (San Manuel)

14) Camille Angela Suratos (Mangaldan)

15) Lyha Yzihienne M. Laylo (Pozorrubio)

16) Rebecca Rose P. Ayudan (Urbiztondo)

17) Kathleen Jane M. Andaya (Villasis)

18) Ruth Mae S. Artates (Sual)

19) Izzy Nina V. Bernardino (Sta. Barbara)

20) Tonette Alexandrea G. Mendoza (Mangatarem)

One candidate withdrew from the official lineup. Kayzel B. Nation of Rosales bowed out from the race because the pageant schedule was in conflict with her schooling.

"The pageant is one of the highlights of the Pista'y Dayat, our annual festival every month of April that runs from April 5 through May 2. It is also one of the most anticipated events of the festival.

"The Limgas pageant is also a better way to present our beauty and grace, while presenting it with a purpose. This sashing ceremony starts the month-long journey to the select our queens for 2024," enthused vice-governor Mark Lambino, during the confab that ensued.

The Limgas na Pangasinan 2024 coronation night will unfold on April 26 in the Provincial Capitol grounds. Outgoing queens Limgas na Pangasinan Grand Rona Lalaine Lopez, Limgas na Pangasinan Mutya Stacey de Ocampo, and Limgas na Pangasinan World Nikhisah Buenafe Cheveh will crown their successors at the culmination of the final show.

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