The Department of Tourism said the digitalization of travel in the Philippines will give the country a “fighting chance” at being competitive globally.
In an interview with Radyo Pilipinas, DOT Secretary Christina Frasco said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. intends to make the Philippines as a tourism and travel “powerhouse” through digitalization.”
Since the intention of our President is really to open up the Philippines to the rest of the world to tourism and travel, his efforts are toward liberalizing pandemic-era protocols (and) digitalizing the experience of arriving in the Philippines,” said Frasco.”As to the e-Travel, his (Marcos Jr.) directive to implement an electronic visa system has given the Philippines a fighting chance at being globally competitive,” she added.
Frasco said priority pillars are infrastructure, digitalization connectivity (whether by land, sea, or air), the equalization of tourism opportunities as well as strategic and strengthened partnerships with various public and private stakeholders.In a separate interview, Frasco vowed to address issues hounding air transport in the country.Frasco said the DOT will work with the Department of Transportation in presenting ways to improve the overall tourism experience in the country.
In the past few months, netizens have been posting bad experiences with various airlines due to poor customer service and delayed flights.On Tuesday, the government unveiled the country’s new tourism slogan, “Love the Philippines,” a way to encourage travelers to discover not only the country’s top tourist spots but also vibrant communities and rich cultural heritage.