MANILA— The Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) on Tuesday rallied support from the business sector on the government’s thrust to achieve a “sustainable” tourism industry in the Philippines.
Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said the overarching theme for her DOT stint would be anchored on “sustainability.”
“Taking from my experience as a former Agriculture official and a policy maker, a sector cannot significantly contribute to the economy if it’s not sustainable,” she said at the Makati Business Club Annual Meeting.
She expressed intent to pursue this path but said the success of having the “sustainable” tag would only happen if consultation is maximized and all stakeholders assumed responsibility for growing the industry.
Encouraging engagement, she underscored that tourism is, in itself, a driver of economic growth and development. According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the tourism industry had contributed 12.2 percent to the economy in 2017.
In a separate event, PCOO Assistant Secretary Ana Marie Banaag also underscored sustainable tourism before businessmen at the Asia CEO Forum.
In her speech, Banaag focused more on “infusing Filipino culture in tourism,” saying this will not only offer unique experiences to the international visitors, but will also provide employment to the locals.
“We’re crafting the cultural awareness campaign that we infuse in tourism the culture of Filipinos, cultural sensitivity and appreciation on how the locals live, what are their tradition– all unadulterated,” she said. “We want the business sector to look into it and consider if they can invest in that aspect.”
“That’s what we want to present before them because they are the developers, they are the ones who have the financial capacity to invest, so if there’s what they should look into, they might appreciate promoting this and at the same time help develop the grass roots.” (Joyce Ann L. Rocamora/PNA)
