The Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), the marketing arm of the Department of Tourism (DOT), is pushing for "smart tourism" initiatives in a bid to help stakeholders in the local travel and tourism industry get back on their feet amid the ongoing pandemic.
(MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
"One of the DOT's strategic objectives is the pivot to 'SMARTourism'. We want to strengthen digital platforms, ensure data-driven planning, and expand other tools for promotions and marketing," Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said during the first hybrid Tourism & Technology Forum (TTF) on Wednesday, March 17.
Smart tourism, Puyat explained, is defined according to the technological capabilities of a particular destination, attraction, or the tourists themselves.
"Just like any other destination, the ultimate aim of smart tourism is to improve the efficiency of resource management, upgrade the level of our competitiveness, and to enhance sustainability through the use of technological innovations and practices," she added.
The TTF is a two-day event organized by the TPB to provide a learning platform for industry stakeholders so they may take advantage of recent developments and innovations in technology through a series of informative sessions and open discussions.
According to Puyat, the forum also hopes to generate best practices and new ideas in response to the current situation, as well as foster good relationships and strengthen collaboration within the sector to plan future projects relative to the promotion of Smart Tourism in the Philippines.
"Changes in the travel and technology landscape go beyond improving our processes or the tourist experience; it entails transforming the entire tourism system itself," she said.
"I do hope that the Tourism and Technology Forum will encourage everyone to continue to rethink travel by building a dynamic Philippine tourism, enhancing our destinations’ product offerings, and meeting the demands of our increasingly tech-savvy international and domestic travelers," Puyat added.
The forum will run until Thursday, March 18. It will feature tech industry giants including former Department of the Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of IdeaCorp. Emmanuel Lallana, as well as Singapore-based Global Chief Public Services Industry Scientist of Huawei Technologies Hong-Eng Koh in plenary sessions.