Bongbong Marcos orders tourism consolidation

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has ordered the consolidation of tourism services in the country so that tourists can enjoy a simpler, seamless and pleasant travel during their stay here.

On Thursday, Marcos met with the tourism sector of the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC), which made several recommendations aimed at making the country a “premier global tourism destination.”

The Chief Executive also told the Department of Tourism to study the potential of sports development in attracting tourists, and food tourism to showcase the country’s variety of cuisines.

Citing the success of India, China, Singapore, and Thailand, the PSAC proposed a campaign to showcase native cuisines and for the country to host major sports events.

They also suggested that third-party providers be tapped to handle and enhance the efficiency of the e-Visa system.

Other PSAC members present at the meeting were Lance Gokongwei of JG Summit Holdings Inc., Lucio Tan III of LT Group, Rene Limcaoco of Hertz Philippines and Lourdes Josephine Gotianun-Yap of Filinvest Development Corp. In 2023, tourist arrivals in the Philippines were over 5.4 million with tourism receipts reaching P482.54 billion.

Data also showed that more than 1.4 million airline seats were booked, an 80-percent recovery of pre-COVID-19 incoming seat capacity. —JULIE M. AURELIO