The Okura Hotel, Tokyo, Japan
February 9, 2023

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. called for a stronger tourism partnership between the Philippines and Japan as he held a roundtable meeting with tourism stakeholders and partners at the Okura Hotel in Tokyo, Japan.

As one of the top priorities of the Administration, President Marcos Jr. emphasized the government’s commitment to revitalize the tourism sector, as its development remains an important part of the Philippine economy.

In his remarks, the President pushed for reshaping the sector as one of the key economic drivers of the country. “But more than just being an economic driver, we see the tourism industry to be a great pillar that foster deep love and pride of our country,” the Chief Executive expressed.

For its part, the Department of Tourism (DOT) reaffirmed its commitment to take an active role in implementing socioeconomic policies, strategies and programs, most especially with the recent launching of the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028 that are geared towards the high growth track of the economy.

According to the Embassy of the Philippines in Japan, the said country is one of the nation’s major sources of inbound tourists with more than a million visitors from 2017 to 2019 alone. At the height of the pandemic, Japan ranked fourth in the country’s tourism arrivals in 2020 and second in 2021.

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