JOHOR BAHRU: The Philippines has reiterated its commitment to the Asean Tourism Strategic Plan 2016-2025, underscoring its desire to promote the region as a unified and sustainable tourism destination.
To that end, Philippine Tourism Department Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco highlighted the country’s efforts to align with Asean’s vision of responsible, inclusive and sustainable tourism development.
She stated that guided by the shared goal of fostering regional unity, the Philippines emphasised its ongoing initiatives to support the strategic plan, which seeks to position Asean as a quality tourism destination with unique and diverse experiences.
Central to this commitment is the Philippines’ “Love the Philippines” campaign, which she described as showcasing the country’s rich culture, unmatched beauty and exceptional hospitality while also contributing to Asean’s collective growth.
“We are embracing sustainability as a cornerstone of our tourism strategies, ensuring that the treasures that we have inherited will continue to inspire and be utilised by future generations.
“Our commitment, along with expanding economic gains, is to ensure environmental preservation, cultural enrichment, inclusive growth and constant innovation,” she said.
Frasco delivered these remarks through a recorded video message shared during the Philippines Night, an event held in conjunction with the Asean Travel Exchange (TRAVEX), a key component of the Asean Tourism Forum (ATF) programme, here last night.
The event was also attended by the Philippines Tourism Development and Planning Undersecretary, Verna Buensuceso; and its Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) chief operating officer, Maria Margarita Montemayor Nograles.
As the Philippines proudly participated in this year’s ATF, hosted by Malaysia, Frasco said that for nearly three decades, the forum has served as a beacon of unity, providing strength to the Asean region.
“As a single tourism destination, this forum showcases Asean’s rich cultural diversity, breath-taking landscapes and the indomitable spirit of our Asean member nations and its peoples,” she said.
According to her, it is also exciting to know that, as a stand-alone central body operating under the auspices of the Asean Tourism Minister’s Meeting, the forum is as dynamic as the tourism industry, which is growing and expanding at an exponential rate.
The six-day ATF 2025, which began on Wednesday (Jan 15), aims to promote regional tourism products, facilitate knowledge exchange, build valuable networking and improve cooperation with leaders in the global tourism industry to increase the number of tourists visiting Asean.
This is the second time Malaysia is hosting the ATF; the first being in Kuching, Sarawak, in 2014.
Malaysia’s hosting of ATF 2025 is particularly significant as it assumes the Asean chairmanship this year. – BERNAMA
