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.
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