Tourism body seeks 25% increase in 2014 budget

MANILA, Philippines - The Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), an agency attached to the Department of Tourism (DOT), is proposing to increase its budget by 25 percent to P1.25 billion in 2014, from P1 billion in 2013.

TPB chief operating officer (COO) Domingo Ramon Enerio III said the additional budget would enable them to continuously support the implementation of the department’s More Fun in the Philippines’ promotional campaign.

Some P500 million will come from NG/DOT; P250 million will come from Pagcor and P500 million from share from airports/seaports’ revenues.

Next year’s DOT budget, on the other hand, will drop to P1.7 billion from P2.2 billion this year as corresponding decrease was channeled to TPB.

TPB, formerly Philippine Convention and Visitors Corp., was created to be primarily responsible for implementing an integrated domestic and international promotions and marketing program for the Philippines as a tourism destination as well as for tourism investments.

Enerio said they would continue to promote the Philippines as an ideal tourism, convention and incentive travel destination.

He said they would be enhancing programs for the Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (M.I.C.E).

TPB’s M.I.C.E. & Business Development Unit provides comprehensive information, assistance and guidance to meeting planners and incentive travel organizers who seek an ideal venue for their meetings and incentive groups.

He said they would be promoting the social and cruise tourism initiatives to further boost the country’s tourism industry.

The TPB executive said they would also try to look and explore other attractive tourist destinations in the Philippines.

In line with the recent calamities, TPB would review and realign some of its promotional efforts to some unexplored and unaffected tourism areas.

He said the DOT will be revisiting the National Tourism Development Plan (NTDP) soon to take into consideration the recent developments that affect the country’s tourism sector.