The Department of Tourism (DOT) has vowed to push for more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable programs that will help rebuild the country's tourism industry amid the health crisis.
In her message on the celebration of World Tourism Day, DOT Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said the pandemic has highlighted the opportunity for the local tourism industry to build back better, shifting its narrative toward resilient, inclusive, and sustainable growth.
This year's World Tourism Day was anchored on the theme "Tourism for Inclusive Growth" which Puyat said was parallel with the Department's vision for a "better normal" in this time of crisis.
"Our plans and programs for the rest of 2021 and until the first half of 2022 will be devoted to activities that will protect livelihoods and the workforce, as well as broadening and deepening the roots of community engagement, capitalizing on the country’s strengths," Puyat said.
The tourism chief also noted that the DOT is joining the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in its call to move forward and work together to build a more prosperous and peaceful world through tourism.
"We look forward to the day when we can join other nations in welcoming foreign travelers. We are preparing for the return of inbound tourism, ensuring that our destinations are safe and our programs are sustainable," Puyat said.
"Tourism has the power to change and uplift lives, and as we head towards national economic recovery, we are committed to leaving no one behind. Together, we will recover as one," she added.
Puyat also emphasized that the DOT will continue the push for the vaccination of workers in the country's tourism industry, as well as the development of tourism products and circuits that reflect the changing preferences of pandemic travelers.
The DOT recently revealed that over 50 percent of the entire tourism workers population in the country have already been vaccinated against the dreaded coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Based on data shared by the DOT, a total of 126,097 tourism workers from the A1 and A4 priority groups have completed their jabs as of Sept. 10, or at least 51 percent of the target 245,338 tourism workers population across all regions in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
The National Capital Region (NCR) registered the most number of vaccinated tourism workers at 94 percent, followed by the Davao Region with 88 percent, and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) with 80 percent.