ILOILO CITY – The Department of Tourism (DOT) has rolled out the five-year National Tourism Development Plan (NTDP) for Visayas stakeholders in this city.
TOURISM Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco presents the 2023-2028 National Tourism Development Plan for Visayas stakeholders in Iloilo City. (Department of Tourism)
“In the spirit of President Marcos’ economic aspirations for the Philippines, the NTDP is not just the plan, but a dynamic framework that requires all of us, our active engagement from policy-making to grassroots implementation,” said DOT Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco during the April 5 rollout.
Key tourism officials from the government and private sectors in Western Visayas, Central Visayas, and Easter Visayas were presented with the 2023-2028 road map that aims to ensure that the industry is resilient and globally competitive in the aftermath of the pandemic.
Among the data presented were projected arrivals of foreign tourists with the target of 7.7 million for this year; 8.4 million in 2025; 9.3 million in 2026; 10.2 million in 2027; and 11.5 million in 2028.
By 2028, the tourism industry in the country should be able to create jobs for 6.3 million Filipinos or around 12.9 percent of the country’s total employment.
The NTDP was crafted with inputs from DOT’s offices and attached agencies as well as other national government offices, local governments units (LGUs), private sector representatives, the academe, and non-government organizations.