The development of access roads leading to tourism destinations has contributed significantly to the tourism industry, as it has enabled quicker and more convenient movement of foreign and domestic travelers.
(MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
This was stated by Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat in response to the latest report of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) stating that 1,950 kilometers out of the planned 3,667 kilometers of access road projects have already been completed as of May 2020.
The report was among the achievements of the Department of Tourism (DOT) included in the Duterte Administration’s Mid-Year Report 2020, a copy of which was obtained by the Manila Bulletin.
“The infrastructure convergence projects of the DOT with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) under the Tourism Road Infrastructure Program (TRIP) ensure the equitable dispersal of benefits of tourism to local communities,” she said, citing that the roads have also resulted in the efficient transport of goods and delivery of services that are vital to the operations of tourism.
According to Puyat, the DOT envisioned the improvement of accessibility and connectivity between tourism gateways, service centers, and tourism sites as one of its strategic directions, under the National Tourism Development Plan (NTDP).
The NTDP 2016 -2022 seeks to build and upscale the implementation of tourism programs through a focused and prioritized approach designed to deliver a more competitive, sustainable and inclusive tourism sector.
“This time, in steering the industry to recover from its losses caused by the pandemic, the DOT shall continue its pursuit to develop strategic road infrastructure with partner government agencies, with particular focus on community-based and DOT-accredited farm tourism sites,” she added.
In 2019, tourism in the Philippines marked a new milestone as the year concluded with 8,260,913 visitor arrivals or a 15.24 percent increase compared to 7,168,467 in 2018.
The DOT said tourist traffic to the Philippines has been continuously growing in the last 10 years.
Also under the NTDP, the DOT sets the target of 12 million foreign visitor arrivals and 89.2 million domestic travelers for the year 2022.