Virgin Island in Panglao, Bohol (INQUIRER file photo / LEO UDTOHAN)
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. on Thursday ordered the consolidation of the country’s tourism services.
In the Private Sector Advisory Council’s (PSAC) meeting with representatives of the tourism industry, Marcos cited an experience with a friend who opted to go to Thailand rather than the Philippines.
The President recounted that his friend said that in the Philippines tourists have to arrange their own hotel, tour guide, driver and more.
“There’s the thing. I guess, you know, consolidate the system. So that it’s because when you’re on vacation, you just want to stay at the beach and have a nice time. So, I think it’s the facilities that we have to develop,” the President said.
Sports, food tourism
Marcos also instructed the Department of Tourism to look into sports development to develop tourism.
“The one area that I think is easy is sports development because they (athletes) are here, we just have to make the facilities better. Also food tourism has huge potential but it is largely untapped, there’s a lot of room to improve,” Marcos said.
Among those in attendance at the meeting were business tycoons Sabin Aboitiz, Lance Gokongwei and Lucio Tan III.