“The LGBTQIA+ community plays a vital role in the global travel and tourism landscape, and presents vast opportunities for growing the Philippine tourism industry portfolio.”
Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco made this assertion as she keynoted the first-ever Tourism Pride Summit, a joint effort between the Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Philippine Financial Inter-Industry Pride (PFIP).
“According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization, there is an estimated number of over 36 million LGBTQIA+ travelers around the world.”
“According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), there is an estimated number of over 36 million LGBTQIA+ travelers around the world. So significant is the contribution of this community that it constitutes over 200 billion (US dollars) in spending, and it is estimated to reach half a trillion US dollars by 2030,” Frasco said.
“There are a vast amount of opportunities that can be had should our country open up to include LGBTQIA+ tourism in its tourism portfolio,” the tourism chief added.
The effort of the DOT to support the LGBTQIA+ community through various initiatives such as the Tourism Industry Summit 2023, the tourism head stressed, is not motivated by economics alone, but is primarily anchored on the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. for an inclusive tourism industry for the Philippines.
“Under the administration of President Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos, Jr., he seeks for a tourism industry that is inclusive, where no destination and no stakeholder is left behind in the development of our country. That is why in our effort to reach our hand of collaboration to the farthest reaches of our country, we reach out our hand of collaboration as well to the many sectors that are involved in tourism, especially and including the LGBTQIA+ community,” she noted.
Frasco expressed her love and gratitude to the attendees of the Tourism Pride Summit 2023, as she noted the importance of the LGBTQIA+ community in facilitating tourism growth for the country.
“Across the entire tourism value chain, the LGBTQIA+ community has contributed significantly.”
“Across the vast expanse of the tourism value chain-from the time that you book your flights or hotels, to booking your tourism transport, to staying in your hotel, to dining in the restaurants and other offerings, from the time you buy your pasalubong, when you partake in festivals and immerse yourself in the local communities of tourism destinations, to the time that you take tours when you finally arrive at your intended destination-across the entire tourism value chain, the LGBTQIA+ community has contributed significantly,” she stressed.
Frasco likewise shared that in the DOT, members of the LGBTQIA+ community have been vital in the Department’s attainment of industry milestones in its 50 years of existence.
“The recognition of the contributions of this community is absolutely essential, and their success is our success. And therefore it behooves us to work together to ensure that we’re able to honor their contributions, as well as support them the best way possible through government assistance and intervention,” she emphasized.
