Skip to main content

Cebu hosts 1st Philippine Tourism Dive Dialogue

 


CEBU CITY (PIA) -- The Department of Tourism (DOT) kicked off its first Philippine Tourism Dive Dialogue in Cebu on September 14, 2023, which gathered over 300 dive tourism stakeholders in the country.

The two-day dialogue aims to address current issues in diving tourism, promote collaboration among public and private stakeholders, advocate for sustainable practices, discussions on safety, standards, and accreditation of tourism-related establishments (TREs) for scuba diving, and the exploration of promising investment opportunities within the dive industry to foster the growth of dive tourism in the Philippines.

The dialogue ends on Sept. 15, 2023 with a coastal clean-up in one of the beaches in Mactan.

Consultation with stakeholders

Tourism and Diving Association of Southern Leyte President Phil McGuire said he joined the dialogue to know more about the post-disaster rehabilitation efforts in the coastal areas.

“I came here to participate and ask questions about the marine protected area and coral restoration following typhoon Odette 2 years ago. I'm very concerned mostly about coral restoration,” said McGuire, who also owns Sogod Bay Scuba Resort.

He hopes the local government units will join the dialogue to consult with the stakeholders before they come up with policies for implementation in their areas.

“I am hoping for the local government units to participate in this dialogue because they make the rules and regulations and they do what they think is best without consulting the stakeholders, and we, the stakeholders, are trying to make that connection,” added McGuire.

Tourism in post-pandemic

DOT Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco, in her keynote speech during the said dialogue, disclosed that in 2022, the Philippine Tourism industry contributed over 6.2% of the gross domestic product.

“National economic managers have recognized tourism as the top 2 driver of economic growth in the first six months of 2023,” said Frasco.

The industry brought 2.65 million international visitors in 2022, exceeding the target of 1.7 million bringing in over P1.87 trillion of combined international and domestic visitor receipts, reflecting a 67% recovery rate in tourism visitors receipts among the Asian neighbors.

Frasco said the domestic tourism has long sustained the Philippine economy. 

In 2022, over 102 million domestic trips were taken by tourists in the country, representing 84% in recovery rate compared to 2019.

These numbers reflect tourism growth in terms of employment and livelihood generating 5.35 million jobs in 2022, a 93% recovery rate compared to 2019.

Frasco attributes this to the recovery of the Micro-Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) and partners in the tourism sector.

There was an estimated P37 billion in tourist receipts from international dive visitors coming into the Philippines, constituting over 17.5% of the total tourism receipts in 2022.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Dumaguete crime rate drops

  DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental, Nov. 10 (PIA) -- The Dumaguete City Police Station has reported that between October 1 to Nov. 7, only 70 crime incidents were recorded, a decrease by 21% compared to 91 incidents in the same period of last year. In a City Peace and Order Council meeting, Lt. Col. Ronoel Fungo disclosed that no homicide, murder, robbery, carnapping, rape and rape with homicide cases were reported in the same period.  The City Health Office also reported that of the total 905 surrenderees or people who use drugs (PWUDs) in 2017, around 334 or 37% have completed their assessment as of Nov. 7, 2023. With the absence of drug dependents and pushers in Poblacion 4, 5, and 7, these are considered drug-free barangays, while Poblacion 6 was declared drug-cleared.  The City Health Office also noted that the low or no response to assessment of PWUDs are due to change of address, unknown whereabouts, conflict in work schedule, and imprisonment.  Meanwhile, the ...
Post a Comment
Read more

POPCOM7 strengthens KATROPA implementation in CV LGUs

  (Center left) Board of Director KATROPA Danao City Federation, Juan Capuno Jr. and POPCOM KATROPA Focal Person, Roberto Yana (Center right) CEBU CITY, Cebu, March 1 (PIA) -- The Commission on Population and Development (POPCOM) Region 7 is strengthening the implementation of Kalalakin-an nga Tinud-anay sa ilang Responsibilidad og Obligasyon sa Pamilya (KATROPA) in the local government units (LGUs). During the Kapihan sa PIA, KATROPA Focal Person Roberto Yana disclosed that they aim to educate the male population of their responsibilities in the family, especially on their roles as son, husband, and father.  Members undergo a training of trainers to have a wholistic understanding of their roles and responsibilities in family planning. Yana explained that they accept members as young as 15 years old so they would be educated on community development, livelihood, and responsible parenthood.  In the same forum, Board of Director of the KATROPA Danao City Fede...
Post a Comment
Read more

EMB 7 creates composite team for water sampling

The Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) 7 of the Department of Environment Natural Resources Central Visayas on Tuesday, Dec. 28, has created a composite team for water sampling in the different parts of the region affected by Typhoon "Odette" (International name: Rai). The EMB 7 deployed two teams conducting ambient water sampling in the Northern Cebu (Liloan area, Consolacion, Mandaue and Mactan Coastal Area) and Southern Cebu (Cebu Port Area, Talisay, Naga and San Fernando). The bureau said the first two samples from Punta Engaño near Movenpick Hotel Mactan Island Cebu and Umapad, Mandaue City near the bridge and Petron) taken last Dec. 23 and 24 were brought to Ostrea Laboratory since the EMB laboratory cannot analyze due to no electricity. The office is still awaiting the result for these two samples which will be available by Wednesday, Dec 29.  It said the other samples taken on Tuesday will also be brought to Ostrea laboratory, an accredited laboratory of EMB 7. (ID...
Post a Comment
Read more