Highlighting Filipino hospitality and sustainable Philippine tourism during a recent global summit in Saudi Arabia, Tourism Chief Christina Garcia Frasco revealed that the agency is eyeing to train at least 100,000 Filipino tourism workers next year to strengthen the "Filipino Brand of Service Excellence".
During the 22nd World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) or Global Summit: Travel for a Better Future, Frasco took note of how Filipinos showcase hospitality and excellence in and out of the Philippines.
"Wherever you may find yourself in the world, whether it’s a hotel, a restaurant, a hospital, a home, and in many other industries, you will find a Filipino, with a warm smile and the distinct hospitality of the Filipino that is ready and willing to go the extra mile to make our guests feel happy, at home and well-served. And therefore we recognize the strength of the "Filipino brand of service excellence" as one of the core pillars of the tourism industry in the Philippines," she noted, speaking in front of 2800 registered participants representing 143 nationalities, 250 CEOs, and 52 tourism ministers from around the world.
With this, Frasco laid down the Department of Tourism's (DOT's) plan for frontline training target, disclosing, "Next year, our goal is to train 100,000 Filipino tourism workers harnessing the seven values of Filipino hospitality. In addition to that, to continue to train our people to be purveyors of happiness and, more importantly, purveyors of hope. And to build upon all of that in the sense of community, in the sense of the Bayanihan spirit."
Moving forward, the DOT aims to "purvey the Filipino brand of service excellence" to its frontline tourism workers, recognizing the strength of the Filipino brand of service excellence as the core pillar of the tourism industry and aiming to help the industry workforce become "beacons of hospitality to our 100 million Filipino population, ready and willing to receive tourists from all over the world."
Frasco also discussed the coordination of the 16 regions in the country to ensure that more tourist workers receive the training available.
She also covered ecotourism, the inclusion of green practices in updated accreditation standards, labor standards for Filipino tourism workers, and sustainable tourism as the cornerstone of Philippine tourism development.
Joining the Global Leader's Dialogue were Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al Khateeb; Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Vice Minister of Tourism Princess Haifa Al Saud; WTTC President & CEO Julia Simpson; World Tourism Organization Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili; and tourism dignitaries from Japan, USA, Austria, Maldives, Tanzania, Oman, Bulgaria, and private sector representatives from Carnival Corporation & PLC, InterContinental Hotels Group, Value Retail, Spencer Stuart Global Hospitality & Leisure Practice, VFS Global, Microsoft Corporation, Amadeus IT Group, and SITA at Borders.