State Dining Room, Malacañan Palace
July 3, 2024
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. convened with key officials from the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) – Tourism Sector Group to discuss updates on ongoing initiatives and recommendations for improving the sector in a meeting at the State Dining Room in Malacañan Palace.
First on the agenda, the Group presented the ongoing initiatives aimed at strengthening and upgrading the sector that include matching hotel supply with neighboring countries through better incentives, improving water supply and sanitation in major tourist destinations, enhancing health facilities, boosting connectivity between tourist hubs, promoting sports tourism and simplifying the process for foreign students’ visas, among others.
The Group also discussed three (3) other initiatives recommended for prioritization, including the digital Nomad Visa through an Executive Order (E.O.) currently being discussed in the House Committee on Justice; the Electronic Visa (e-visa) Program that needs to be outsourced from a third-party service provider; and the Value Added Tax (VAT) Refund Scheme for Tourists (VRST) aimed at increasing tourist receipts by promoting the Philippines as a premier shopping destination.
Under the recommendation to ease visa restrictions, the PSAC-Tourism Sector Group proposed a grant of visa-free travel status to India and Taiwan, allowing citizens of both countries to travel to and from the Philippines without restrictions. This is expected to significantly boost tourism, ultimately contributing to the country’s growth as a major tourist destination.
Furthermore, Ms. Josephine Gotianun-Yap, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Filinvest, underscored the importance of aligning tourism education with industry needs and international standards to ensure sustained competitiveness and excellence.
She emphasized two (2) key recommendations that will elevate the tourism workforce, such as the establishment of a cohesive and relevant tourism curriculum across the Department of Education (DepEd), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to boost competitiveness in tourism human capital and ensure sustained availability of top-tier talents; and the Department of Tourism (DOT) to explore the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s (UNWTO) online academy or other resources for industry-driven curriculum development.
To this end, the Group pledged to continue collaborating with the national government to make the country a more globally competitive tourist destination in the coming years.
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