The Department of Tourism (DoT) remains committed in pursuing equitable and responsible growth as the tourism industry slowly recovers from the wrath of the COVID-19 crisis.

In celebration of the 40th World Tourism Day, with the theme “Tourism and Rural Development,” Tourism chief Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said this year’s event is particularly relevant to the Philippines as many rural areas depend on tourism but have been adversely affected by the pandemic.

Puyat had previously said that aside from enticing travelers to visit the country’s major tourism destinations, the DoT will focus on promoting farm tourism sites as another potential driver for the recovery of the hardest hit sector.

“This gradual revival of the industry will bring back jobs and livelihoods to the rural areas, where many of our tourism products, such as beach, diving, ecotourism, arts and culture, and farm sites are found,” she said.

Tourism has suffered enormously during the pandemic with some 120 million jobs at risk.

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres said in a message that the impacts could lead to the loss of between 1.5 and 2.8 percent of the global Gross Domestic Product (GDP), particularly affecting the most vulnerable countries, including Small Island Developing States, the Least Developed Countries, and many African nations, where tourism can represent between 30 and 80 percent of exports.

But in recent United Nations policy brief, the UN chief asserted that tourism has been a vehicle for integration, empowerment, and income generation for rural communities.

Puyat said the statement recognizes, at the highest level, the importance of tourism to a nation’s development.

“Our tourism industry in the Philippines has been promoting the inclusive development of the countryside, supporting our farmers, Indigenous Peoples, women, and other marginalized groups through sustainable programs that uplift and empower,” she said.

“We have been given this time of tourism closure to transform the crisis into an opportunity; a chance to rebuild tourism on the foundation of safety, sustainability, inclusiveness, and resiliency,” she added.

Tourism is a lifeline for many rural communities, most notably in the developing world. According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), scenarios on the impact of COVID-19, international tourist arrivals could fall between 60 percent and 80 percent in 2020.

The UN body foresees that domestic tourism will return before international tourism.

“Managed well, this could benefit rural communities, most notably through protecting livelihoods and boosting local economies,” the UNWTO said.