The Department of Tourism (DOT) is gearing up to boost cruise tourism in the Philippines under President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr.’s leadership.
At the Expo Maritime Philippines Cruise Travel Tourism and Maritime Career Convention 2024, Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco shared details of the National Tourism Development Plan (NTDP) approved in 2023.
Secretary Frasco highlighted that the NTDP aims to position the Philippines as a top tourism spot in Asia. A key focus is to enhance cruise tourism, which could bring more visitors and jobs to local communities. The plan includes improving ports, making it easier for cruise passengers to enter the country, and promoting our beautiful destinations.
She also highlighted efforts to diversify tourism offerings, resulting in increased cruise calls and passengers.
“In our effort to develop cruise tourism, we have sought to engage partners from all over the world, which has now resulted in 125 cruise calls in 2023, bringing an estimated 101,573 passengers. As of May 28, 2024, we have already had around 117 cruise calls, with an estimated 123,000 passengers,” said Frasco.
Despite challenges like infrastructure and entry requirements, she also mentioned that the DOT is collaborating with relevant agencies to address them.
“This showcases the growing appeal as a premier cruise destination. But we do not wish to stop there. We are well aware that with our 7,641 islands in the Philippines, you will never run out of cruise destinations. That is why the effort is to collaborate with our destinations, our local government units, as well as our private cruise tourism stakeholders to expand as much as possible the number of destinations that our cruises can go to,” she continued.
Plans include constructing more cruise ports, expanding existing ones, and improving seaport conditions nationwide. The DOT also aims to liberalize visas for cruise tourism and collaborate with international stakeholders through memberships and participation in key events.
“We are committed to making the Philippines more cruise-friendly by articulating on behalf of the Department of Tourism the desire of the private cruise tourism stakeholders for the streamlining of government regulations to make it as easy and convenient as possible to come to the Philippines,” added Frasco.
Frasco also emphasized the DOT’s dedication to enhancing the Philippines’ appeal as a cruise-friendly destination, aligning to make the country a tourism powerhouse in Asia.