The Department of Tourism and its counterpart Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China signed an implementation program on tourism cooperation on Jan. 4.
Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco signed the implementation program on tourism cooperation together with People’s Republic of China Culture and Tourism Minister Hu Heping in the presence of President Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr. and PRC President Xi Jinping during the three-day state visit by the President to China.
“We are grateful for China’s commitment and interest in partnering with the Philippines as we usher in this new era of tourism focused on building the industry into a stronger, more sustainable, and more resilient economic pillar for the country’s transformation into a tourism powerhouse in Asia,” Frasco said.
“This implementation program with China will generate massive employment opportunities and investments across all sectors of tourism throughout the Philippines. Our governments will work together on increasing tourist arrivals, resuming and adding direct flights to key and emerging destinations, joint promotional activities, and inviting tourism investments in infrastructure, among others,” she said.
The implementation program aims to realize the goals stated in the memorandum of understanding signed by the Philippines and China in September 2002.
Under the five-year cooperation, both countries agreed to encourage and support the exchange of their respective administrators and tourism professionals to strengthen the mutual development in the field of hotels, resorts, cruise, port, tourism products and other related industries and competency standards.
It also covers the cooperation on tourism safety where both parties will make joint measures to guarantee the rights, interests and safety of tourists visiting each other’s country.
Local tour operators and travel agencies will also take part in the program by jointly advertising both the countries’ tourist offerings through promotional materials highlighting significant attractions and destinations as well as enhancing public information exchange.
“Also among the salient points of the program is to advocate the best practices and knowledge in sustainable tourism which includes the promotion of eco-friendly products and services. We will also encourage investments in tourism infrastructure and support tourism enterprises of both countries to cooperate in the development of tourism projects in accordance with the current laws and regulations in each other’s countries,” said Frasco.
The Philippines recorded 8.26-million international visitor arrivals, with China as the second top tourist market with a total of 1.74 million arrivals in 2019.
