CEBU, Philippines — The Department of Tourism (DOT) has reaffirmed its dedication in partnering with the United Nations on further promoting the country’s tourism industry with other programs like establishing a tourism academy in Cebu.
Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco stressed the DOT’s commitment during the 9th UN Tourism World Forum on Gastronomy Tourism, where she also noted on boosting air connectivity from Bahrain to the Philippines, including flights to Cebu.
Garcia-Frasco met with UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili last Monday wherein the meeting centered on advancing the proposal to establish an International Tourism Academy in Cebu.
This project was first announced by Secretary-General Pololikashvili during the Philippines’ first hosting of the inaugural UN Tourism Regional Forum on Gastronomy Tourism for Asia and the Pacific last June in Cebu.
Sec. Frasco reaffirmed the DOT’s seriousness in realizing its partnership with UN Tourism, emphasizing the ongoing coordination between DOT and UN Tourism teams to firm up details of the project.
Frasco also conveyed the country’s “strong desire to ensure the sustainability and inclusivity of the planned academy and its offerings, in that it adopts digitalization, and is able to offer advance tourism courses that would elevate the quality of tourism workforce, as well as to provide scholarships to serve underprivileged students,” DOT reported.
Along with this, Sec.Frasco also proposed the inclusion of scholarships for underprivileged students that would position the said Academy as a platform to empower future tourism leaders and extend opportunities to underserved communities.
Sec. Frasco also had a bilateral meeting with Bahrain’s Minister of Tourism Fatima bint Jaffar Al Sairafi.
An execution of an updated Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to expand to more measures of cooperation on tourism development had been proposed by Frasco, especially that the two countries had previously signed an agreement in 2003.
With this, Minister Al Sairafi welcomed the idea and expressed eagerness in the partnership.
“I believe that the MOU will put the silver lining for our cooperation, and I’m so happy that you are here in the Kingdom of Bahrain so that we could start discussing ways that we can collaborate,” he said.
The two discussed boosting air connectivity to augment the current Bahrain to Manila flights and to include flights to Cebu, as well as joint promotions of islands, exchange of tourism professionals, mutual growth in meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE), enticing tourism investments, tourism and hospitality education, and cultural heritage.
Meanwhile, the Cebuana tourism chief shared the gastronomy tourism strategies under the Marcos administration in the UN Tourism World Forum on Gastronomy Tourism itself in Bahrain.
Frasco highlighted the country’s comprehensive policy framework and governance initiatives aimed at unlocking gastronomy's potential to drive tourism growth.
"In the Philippines, gastronomy is embedded in our national strategy, by way of our National Tourism Development Plan, which our President approved at the beginning of his administration. By way of this plan, we have made deliberate and focused approaches towards developing gastronomy," Secretary Frasco shared.
The country’s inaugural hosting of the UN Tourism Regional Forum on Gastronomy Tourism for Asia and the Pacific in Cebu was also a milestone that highlighted the country’s leadership in regional gastronomy tourism.
Secretary Frasco also discussed how the 12-point Cebu Call to Action addresses the entire tourism value chain, emphasizing support for small and medium enterprises, farmers, fisherfolk, cooks, and chefs.
"This Call to Action provides an impetus for supporting gastronomy tourism in a manner that increases the value proposition of destinations. We attached gastronomy tourism to every experience that is had in the destination, knowing fully well that over 54% actually use gastronomy as one of the reasons for travel. Domestically, in the Philippines, it ranks as the number two reason for travel across our nation," Frasco explained.
The Cebu Call to Action also emphasizes collaboration between the public and private sectors to foster sustainable gastronomy tourism and address critical issues such as food waste management.
"We are hopeful that this framework for gastronomy tourism in Asia and the Pacific will ensure sustainability in the development of gastronomy and uplift local economies through this fast-growing sector of tourism," Secretary Frasco concluded. –/ATO (FREEMAN)