FILE PHOTO: President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. | PHOTO: official facebook page of President Marcos
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has approved the government’s national tourism development plan 2023-2028, which seeks to make the Philippines a “tourism powerhouse.”
Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco announced this new development on Tuesday, following a sectoral meeting led by the President in Malacañang.
Frasco said the plan, which will serve as the “blueprint and development framework” for the tourism industry, results from consultations among stakeholders nationwide.
“The National Tourism Development Plan lays down the seven objectives of the DOT [Department of Tourism] that focuses on the essential pillars of development which in our view would be able to give the Philippines a fighting chance at becoming a tourism powerhouse,” she said in a Palace briefing.
Frasco said the plan addresses essential issues in tourism development, including the development of infrastructure, connectivity, digitalization, the equalization of tourism, development, and enhancement of the overall tourism experience as well as the strengthening of tourism governance.
“What our fellow Filipinos can expect is that mabibigyan po ng pagkakataon yung ating mga kababayan na magkaroon ng tourism employment sa pamamagitan ng pagdevelop natin ng tourism circuits and to continue to push for tourism across our regions and provinces,” she said.
(What the Filipinos can expect from this is that our countrymen will have tourism employment by way of developing our tourism circuits and pushing for tourism across regions and provinces.)
She said the DOT will launch in a “few short weeks” the “Philippine Experience,” which Frasco said will reintroduce “the heart and soul of the Filipinos.”
“We very much are looking forward to instituting all of the programs and plans under the administration, all towards the goal of ensuring that our fellow Filipinos [can] enjoy gainful employment and livelihood as a result of the success of the tourism industry,” the DOT chief said.
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