Philippine tourism sector prioritises sustainability & connectivity

By 2024 or 2025, the projected number of foreign visitors will be back to pre-pandemic levels

In 2019, more than eight million international tourists visited the Philippines.

Roberto Alabado III, Undersecretary for Tourism Regulation, Coordination and Resource Generation of the Department of Tourism (DOT) stated that by 2024 or 2025, the projected number of foreign visitors will be back to pre-pandemic levels. 

That is if the country improves on its environmental sustainability efforts in key tourist destinations and digitalisation of the tourism sector, reported SunStar. 

Alabado said improving connectivity is essential, especially for airports, roads, cruise ports and seaports.

“This would really help a lot because cruise tourism pre-pandemic, the Philippines was starting in Southeast because we were like a greenfield for them. A lot of islands (are) still yet to be discovered, cruise ships were excited to explore the Philippines and we are looking at it in the next decade, a lot of them will come back here in the Philippines,” he added.

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The Department of Tourism expressed its support for global climate change mitigation efforts by promoting green tourism during the opening of the World Travel and Tourism Council Global Summit on Thursday, according to Philstar.com. 

“We also saw a significant shift in tourist behavior and preference, and we seized this opportunity to shift the status quo to regenerative tourism, which seeks to leave a destination in a better state than it was before,” said Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat.

Puyat cited that while the Philippines is blessed to be in one of the most biodiverse areas on Earth, it is still at risk of natural disasters. Because of this, there is an urgent need for disaster preparedness and climate change mitigation.

The event also launched its hotel sustainability initiative, which highlights 12 actions that will aid hotels in improving their impact on the environment.

“Sustainability is non-negotiable but not every small hotel has access to the science on how to make a difference. This gives everyone access to a global standard and provides consumers to travel with [confidence],” said WTTC President and CEO Julia Simpson.

The Property Report editors wrote this article. For more information, email: [email protected].