PBBM underscores importance of PH tourism keeping pace with travel resurgence

Transcript

00:00 Ideas and innovation are what's needed to drum up even more notice and attention from

00:04 abroad to the country's world-class tourist sites in unmatched homegrown accommodation

00:08 and hospitality.

00:10 And rewarding such efforts to improve the industry is crucial to attract the best and

00:15 brightest minds, as Aurod Lagusan reports on today's tourism department's recognition

00:19 and awarding of honors.

00:23 The country's tourism must be further strengthened in line with a resurgence in travel.

00:28 The return and continued increase in the number of travelers both here at home and from abroad.

00:33 President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. stressed the importance of tourism-related projects

00:37 keep in pace with the increasing volume of tourists.

00:40 That is why we have been modernizing our airports from Clark to Cebu.

00:45 Soon we will bravely unravel the newly improved Manila International Airport, Lagindingan

00:50 Airport, the Obohol Airport are all in the pipeline now.

00:54 We have also been upgrading our seaports, paving more roads to tourism spots.

00:59 The president also said this includes upskilling of people who are part of the tourism industry.

01:04 This is along with our country's world-renowned hospitality to visitors.

01:08 We must work harder to make our country stand out amidst a very competitive market.

01:14 We have to build better, more tourism facilities and infrastructure, step up our marketing

01:20 drive and rev up training.

01:23 We have to open up more tourism areas so we can have a diversified and a dynamic portfolio

01:29 that can drive up interest before a wider clientele.

01:33 According to the president, 5.5 million inbound tourists arrived in the country in 2023, a

01:39 100% increase from the year before.

01:41 For this year, the target of the Department of Tourism is 7.7 million inbound tourists.

01:46 The president further emphasized that besides our beautiful tourist sites, good facilities

01:50 and fun activities, it's the Filipinos and matched hospitality which is a huge reason

01:55 for tourists coming over to visit the country.

01:58 Meanwhile, the DOT works tirelessly in improving the country's tourism industry through its

02:03 programs, such as its Tourism Champions Challenge, where all cities and towns in the country

02:07 were invited to submit their proposals for an infrastructure project.

02:12 Having been mayor myself, I know from experience that without proper tourism infrastructure,

02:19 we cannot hope to even begin to develop our tourism destinations, which is precisely why

02:26 Wapyon's challenge aims to do is to spread tourism infrastructure development across

02:34 the country.

02:35 The secretary also stressed the crucial role tourism plays in improving the economic condition

02:40 of communities.

02:41 Rod Leguzad, from the National TV, for a new and better Philippines.