BANGKOK, Thailand – Elevated connectivity, journey comfort, equal alternatives, and sustainable tourism.
These have been the main focus factors of Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco in her presentation on the eleventh Asia-Pacific Financial Cooperation (APEC) Tourism Ministerial Assembly (TMM).
Secretary Frasco led the Philippines’ delegation to the eleventh APEC TMM, becoming a member of Tourism Minister counterparts and high-ranking officers from APEC Member Economies, together with Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, China (digital participation), Hong Kong, Indonesia (digital participation), Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, The Russian Federation, Singapore, Chinese language Taipei, Thailand, United States of America, and Viet Nam.
Throughout the dialogue that was facilitated by Thailand Minister of Tourism and Sports activities (MOST) and APEC TMM Chair Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn on the important thing methods to speed up the restoration of journey and tourism within the post-COVID-19 pandemic, Secretary Frasco shared among the tourism restoration methods of the Philippine authorities, which could be magnified and tailored on a bigger scale in areas just like the APEC area.
Elevated connectivity by way of infrastructure growth, elevated flights, and knowledge digitalization
To extend connectivity with APEC Member Economies and the remainder of the world, Secretary Frasco make clear the Philippines’ methods to introduce enhancements to infrastructure and transportation to offer an enhanced and reasonably priced expertise for guests.
“Connectivity goals to make sure that our vacationer locations are accessible by way of improved transportation networks and reasonably priced journey prices. Our method is geared in the direction of proactive and aggressive infrastructure growth that gives high quality entry to roads, bridges, water programs, and numerous strategies of transportation by land, sea, and air,” defined Secretary Frasco.
The Tourism Secretary additionally disclosed the nation’s plans of partnering with airways and airports within the reinstatement of flights and the event of latest routes to revive reasonably priced and aggressive charges for worldwide and home journey.
“We will facilitate partnerships with airways and airports with the reinstatement of flights and the event of latest routes with the tip in view enhancing connectivity throughout economies inside the APEC and throughout the globe and restoring reasonably priced and aggressive charges for worldwide and home journey,” introduced Secretary Frasco.
As she communicated the dedication of the Philippine authorities by way of the Division of Tourism (DOT) to hold out measures that can introduce proactive and aggressive growth in all elements of tourism, Secretary Frasco additionally recognized digitalization of entry of data and reserving companies enhancement as one of many main methods eyed to boost end-to-end connectivity within the nation.
“We’re intently finding out the event of a vacationer life cycle app, a cellular software that connects vacationers to lodging, meals, buying, transportation and the like that will even allow us to watch tourism intelligence knowledge to higher enhance our tourism companies,” mentioned the Tourism Secretary.
Vaccine interoperability for a extra handy journey expertise
By way of growing journey comfort, Secretary Frasco advocated for the interoperability of vaccine certificates, uniformity of protocols, and institution of tourism circuits throughout APEC Member Economies.

The Tourism Secretary had earlier acknowledged the nation’s help to the interoperability of vaccine certificates after the presentation made by the APEC Coverage Help made a presentation on its report titled “COVID-19 and Cross Border Mobility within the APEC Area: Addressing Uncertainties on the Border” throughout the morning a part of the APEC TMM.
“To advance secure mobility, the Philippines helps the push for the interoperability of vaccine certificates. The Philippines is one with the tourism business in supporting steps being undertaken to proceed to open up our borders and facilitate seamless journey throughout locations and economies to spur financial exercise and people-to-people connectivity,” mentioned Secretary Frasco.
“Comfort could also be spurred to make sure the uniformity of protocols and the interoperability of vaccine certificates throughout economies, in addition to the event and updating of journey purposes to make journey and vacation spot info available,” she added.
Equal alternatives and sustainable tourism for all
Given the unprecedented results of the pandemic on the worldwide tourism business, Secretary Frasco additionally inspired Member Economies to equalize tourism alternatives throughout underdeveloped locations to unfold financial advantages, a technique that the DOT has commenced in its pursuit to spur nationwide tourism restoration and fulfill the imaginative and prescient of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for the tourism business to turn into one of many nation’s main financial pillars.
“With new market preferences rising for extra sustainable tourism merchandise, there may be now a possibility for brand new tourism locations and merchandise to be developed, paving the best way for extra multi-dimensional tourism experiences which are immersive and reflective of the distinctive cultures of the assorted economies in APEC,” mentioned Secretary Frasco.
“The equalization of alternatives throughout underdeveloped locations amongst APEC Member Economies is essential to unfold financial alternatives to make sure that nobody is left behind as we reboot and restart the journey and tourism business,” she famous.
Totally conscious of tourism’s propensity to have an opposed impression on native communities and the setting if, with out correct regulation inside the jurisdiction, Secretary Frasco strongly pushed for the prioritization of sustainable tourism practices and coordination between APEC economies, in addition to nationwide and native governments.
“Since we’ve all envisioned the long-term success of the tourism business, sustainable tourism paired with efficient native and nationwide governance and coordination spells the best way ahead. Because of this, we advocate for an in depth collaboration between APEC economies and nationwide and native governments to extend the life cycle of a vacationer vacation spot. Sustainable tourism insurance policies must be built-in inside a wider financial, social, and environmental coverage consideration inside an general sustainable growth framework,” mentioned Secretary Frasco.
“We should due to this fact have a look at the essential parts of sustainable growth as a guidepost within the revival and continued restoration of the tourism business throughout our economies,” added Secretary Frasco, who’s the youngest among the many heads of nationwide tourism organizations current on the eleventh APEC TMM.
The APEC TMM is the best decision-making physique of the APEC Tourism Sector. Hosted by Thailand, the eleventh APEC TMM is the primary time that Tourism Ministers from the APEC Member Economies have bodily convened because the final APEC TMM that was held in Papua New Guinea in 2018.
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