Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco bared the tourism plans and programs of her department under the Marcos administration as it endeavors to become a more cruise tourism-friendly destination.
“In 2023, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr., approved the National Tourism Development Plan (NTDP), which was crafted by the Department of Tourism taking into consideration the necessary developmental pillars that need to be addressed, should the Philippines go for its aim to become Asia’s next tourism powerhouse. Therefore, we laid out the objectives in the NTDP, with the purpose of strengthening the foundation of Philippine tourism,” Frasco said, citing connectivity, convenience, and equality as the key strategies under this plan.
Frasco served as one of the speakers at the inaugural Expo Maritime Philippines Cruise Travel Tourism and Maritime Career Convention 2024.
In developing the country’s cruise tourism portfolio, Frasco said the DOT has sought a multidimensional approach in diversifying the country’s tourism offerings.
“In our effort to develop cruise tourism, we have sought to engage partners from all over the world, that has now resulted 125 cruise calls in 2023, bringing an estimated over 101,573 passengers, and for 2024, as of May 28, we have already had around 117 cruise calls, with an estimated 123,000 passengers. This showcases the growing appeal as a premier cruise destination. But we do not wish to stop there. We are well aware that with our 7,641 islands in the Philippines, you will never run out of cruise destinations, and that is why the effort is to collaborate with our destinations, our local government units, as well as our private cruise tourism stakeholders to expand as much as possible the number of destinations that our cruises can go to,” Frasco said.
Noting the challenges that hinder cruise tourism development such as infrastructure and entry requirements, Frasco shared the Department’s ongoing efforts to coordinate with relevant government agencies.
“We have reached out to the Philippine Ports Authority as well as the Department of Transportation, especially in articulating our desire for the construction of more cruise ports in the Philippines, the expansion of ports to accommodate bigger cruises, as well as the enhancement of the condition of our seaports all over the country,” she said.
The DOT has also engaged in collaborations with fellow government agencies in addressing travelers’ challenges in obtaining visas to enter the country.
“We’re very excited to collaborate with the Bureau of Immig ration to announce, very soon, liberalization of visas as far as cruise tourism is concerned,” Frasco said.
Acknowledging the important role of the private sector, the DOT has also aligned with international cruise tourism stakeholders and became a member of the Asia Cruise Cooperation, and has also participated in key cruise events such as the renowned Seatrade Cruise Global, Seatrade Cruise Med/Europe, Seatrade Cruise Asia, and the Asia Cruise Forum in Jeju, among others.
The DOT also regularly holds consumer activation events in partnership with private stakeholders, as well as arrival and departure conveniences for tourists.
“We are committed to making the Philippines more cruise-friendly by articulating in behalf of the Department of Tourism the desire of the private cruise tourism stakeholders for the streamlining of government regulations to make it as easy and as convenient as possible to come to the Philippines. This approach will certainly make it easier to do business in the country without compromising the prospects of the full expansion of Philippine cruise tourism. These initiatives undertaken by the Department of Tourism further underscore our commitment to elevate Philippine tourism globally, and of course, to ensure that we move towards the accomplishment of our President’s vision of the transformation of the Philippines into a tourism powerhouse in Asia,” Frasco said.
