The Department of Tourism (DOT) hosted the ninth gathering of its partners from the public and private sectors for the annual Tourism Coordinating Council (TCC) meeting at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC), with the goal to better implement the National Tourism Development Plan (NTDP) 2023 to 2028.
Established under Republic Act 9593 or the TCC is a 25-body agency tasked to coordinate the national tourism development efforts including the implementation of the NTDP.
Among the members of the TCC are national government agencies and tourism organizations, with the DOT Secretary as the chairperson.
The overall implementation of the NTDP 2023-2028, the blueprint and development framework of the national government for the tourism industry, shall rest within the DOT as the lead agency in carrying out the strategic action programs through convergence and partnerships with identified national government agencies; assigning specific action plans within its internal office as well as its regional and overseas offices to include attached agencies; taking the initiative in the involvement of tourism, travel related private sector and non-governmental organizations, civic bodies and academe; and making representations with both houses of Congress to expedite the passing of appropriate laws and policies in support of the NTDP.
“The effort has been towards this journey of transformation by engaging in collaborations and convergences with both the public and the private sector.”
“We are united here by our President’s vision of anchoring Philippine tourism on the strength of the Filipino culture, heritage, and identity, to foster an industry that is globally competitive, resilient, and inclusive as it is sustainable. Hence, the effort has been towards this journey of transformation by engaging in collaborations and convergences with both the public and the private sector,” Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco delivered her opening message as the chairperson on the body.
In her report before sectoral partners, Frasco proudly shared the achievements of the industry, including how much it contributed to the economy and the awards the Philippine has reaped in over two years of the new administration.
“Last year, we surpassed our goal of 4.8 million international visitors by welcoming over 5.4 million international tourists to our shores, generating over P482.54 billion in estimated international visitor receipts.”
“Last year, we surpassed our goal of 4.8 million international visitors by welcoming over 5.4 million international tourists to our shores, generating over P482.54 billion in estimated international visitor receipts. This influx has created jobs in related local economies and of course, propagated livelihood for fellow Filipinos,” the tourism chief said.
“Very recently, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas reported a net trade surplus and travel services for the first time in 15 years. This is a strong indicator of our economic strength showing that our country earns more revenue from foreign visitors than our national spend on outbound travel,” the tourism head added.
She also expressed confidence in terms of the country’s recovery rate after the devastating effects of the pandemic into the country, with tourism as one of the hardest hit sectors.
“Our 2023 global recovery rate compared to the pre-pandemic figures in terms of visitor receipts is now over 100 percent surpassing the 2023 global recovery for international tourism receipts. With these figures, we are confident not only in our full recovery, but also in pushing for the vision of our president for the Philippines’ tourism transformation,” Frasco concluded.
