THE tourism industry must start developing other potential attractions beyond the usual fun and adventure-oriented offerings, presenting visitors a diversified and “multi-dimensional” experience, Tourism Secretary Ma. Esperanza Christina G. Frasco said at the BusinessWorld Forecast 2025 forum on Tuesday.
“Applying a multi-dimensional approach towards tourism development will make the Philippines not solely and singularly dependent on fun and adventure,” Ms. Frasco said at forum on Tuesday.
Other elements of this approach include improving connectivity, infrastructure, and liberal entry requirements, she said, enabling the Philippines to present to visitors attractions that “we have not yet fully been able to share with the world.”
The Department of Tourism is making a major push to develop non-traditional visitor offerings like gastronomy, health, and wellness.
In the next decade, the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) forecasts Philippine travel and tourism to raise its contribution to gross domestic product (GDP) to P9.5 trillion a year, or nearly 22% of economic output.
“On the aspect of infrastructure, we are pleased that with the President’s very clear articulation that tourism is a priority, the airports here in Manila have now been privatized and are in the process of improvement,” she said.
She also noted plans to expand port infrastructure, terminals, roads and bridges.
The government plans to spend 5-6% of GDP on infrastructure annually.
She cited the need for less restrictive entry requirements for visitors.
“The trend that we saw post-pandemic among our ASEAN neighbors is first, the liberalization of visa policy, (including) an electronic component to applying for a visa, or providing visas on arrival.”
“The Philippines still faces the challenge of not being as liberalized and this we foresee to be a continuing challenge,” she added.
She said the Department of Foreign Affairs and Bureau of Immigration are working to set up an “efficient, fully functioning, and effective electronic visa travel system for the Philippines.” — Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson