The New Tourism Act or RA 9593 requires the public-private partnership needed to achieve the vision of the National Tourism Development Plan. This is to maximize the potentials of tourism as a growth driver of investments, employment, growth and national development
Depatment of Tourism Usec. Phineas Alburo said the National Tourism Development Agenda will be the country’s blueprint to make the tourism industry be more globally competitive spurring not only tourist arrivals but boosting the local tourism sector and luring more domestic and foreign investors to pour money on tourism-related investments.
Despite the global financial crisis, tourist arrivals in the country rose by 1.5 percent or about 3.14M last year, according to records from the DOT. Korea, US and Japan are the three top source markets while a bigger chunk of the tourist arrivals is also attributed from Europe and Scandinavian markets.
Alburo said that in order to lure more tourists and invite investors to the country, our national tourism industry should be more globally competitive and that the necessary infrastructure should be put in place such as access roads, airports, seaports and other infrastructure requirements in identified tourism areas.
With the new law, the DOT exercises the powers and discharges the functions in the development of tourism.
Tourism is said to account for 6.2 percent of the country’s gross domestic product. (PIA/FCR)
