Liloan Mayor Christina Garcia-Frasco. Image from liloan.gov.ph
MANILA, Philippines — Incoming Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said on Tuesday that “heavy investment” in infrastructure, especially to prop up tourism sites will buoy the country’s economy which was harshly hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking on ANC, Frasco said that these infrastructures would boost the access to tourism destinations.
“I think that having a very, very strong foundation for the industry is very important and that means investing heavily in infrastructure as far as improving the connectivity and access to our tourist sites,” she said on ANC’s Headstart.
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“So, that means coordination closely with relevant government agencies for the improvement of roads, bridges, access to seaports, airports, as well as modes of public transportation,” she continued.
Aside from infrastructures, Frasco stressed the importance of introducing technology and innovation and adopting a multi-dimensional approach to tourism.
“I think that the introduction of technology and innovation is also very, very important as that was what the pandemic has taught us that you can actually continue to market your products by way of digitalization, by way of mobile applications, through online platforms notwithstanding the restrictions of physical contact,” she pointed out.
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“I think it’s also very important to adopt a multi-dimensional approach to tourism in that we capitalize not only on the beauty of our natural resources, but also on the wealth of talent of our people as well as the products that they produce,” she went on.
Frasco likewise noted that the country should capitalize on domestic tourism and not depend on foreign tourism, saying that the COVID-19 pandemic has limited travel within the country only.
Tourism workers who were likewise affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and calamities among others should be given social protection, she added.
Frasco — the mayor of Liloan town in Cebu and the spokesperson of vice president-elect Sara Duterte-Carpio — was named the next tourism chief under the administration of president-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.