Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco on Thursday underscored the benefits of the recently-approved 5-year National Tourism Development Plan 2023-2028 that will spur transformation of the sector and provide massive opportunities for the economy.
“We are very thankful to President Marcos for approving the NTDP and we’re very much looking forward to instituting all of the programs and plans under his administration, all towards the goal of ensuring that our fellow Filipinos are able to enjoy gainful employment and livelihood as a result of the success of the tourism industry, and to position the Philippines in a more primary role in the ASEAN and the world,” she said.
The NTDP 2023-2028 seeks to establish a Philippine tourism industry anchored on Filipino culture, heritage and identity which aims to be sustainable, resilient and competitive in order to transform the country as a tourism powerhouse.
This also complements the 8-point economic aspirations of the President, which aims to address the most pressing issues the country is facing right now.
Frasco said tourism is one of the few industries that could create opportunities and livelihoods in many of the Philippines farthest, most remote communities, and across all strata of society.
“So, it is by unlocking all of these roadblocks that we would be able to fully develop the tourism industry guided by the National Tourism Development Plan,” she said.
The DOT expects international tourism to reach of 4.8 million arrivals and about P316 billion in inbound tourism revenue, while aiming to hit P1.93 trillion in domestic revenue.
Local tourism, it said, remains a key driver for the recovery of the post-pandemic economy as far as tourism is concerned. Frasco expressed optimism that the sector would surpass targets following a significant recovery in arrivals and revenues.
The DOT also aims to increase employment to 5.3 million in 2023, increasing its share to total labor to about 11.8 percent.
The master plan expects foreign arrivals to breach 51.9 million by 2028 with a total of 34.7 million tourism-related jobs as a result of its continuous coordination and groundwork in implementing the NTDP.
The Philippines recorded 2,029,419 international visitors as of May 15, more than the full year 2022 arrivals of 1.7 million visitors.
The DOT also generated roughly P168.5 billion in visitor receipts in the first four months of 2023 while embarking on an ambitious goal to train 100,000 tourism workers.