Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 17) — With recent government data showing tourism’s share to national economic output plunging in 2020, the Tourism Department assured stakeholders it is looking into all possible means to pump-prime the pandemic-hit industry’s rebound.
“More than the losses in tourism arrivals and revenue, these numbers translate to millions of tourism workers severely affected by the pandemic,” said the agency on Thursday, a day after the Philippine Statistics Authority published data revealing tourism’s contribution to gross domestic output last year tumbled by 61.2%.
Employment in tourism characteristic industries fell by over 18% last year, while all forms of tourism expenditures nosedived by at least 77% annually, as the government restricted the public’s mobility to curb the spread of COVID-19.
Drawing on its Tourism Response and Recovery Plan, the DOT said it will pursue job protection for tourism workers, visitors and communities. It will also support tourism enterprises bouncing back from the crisis, and rebuild confidence and demand within its local and foreign markets.
“For the next two years, the Philippines will be positioned as a ‘safe, fun, and competitive destination,’” said the DOT, anchoring on strong linkages with communities and travelers.
This will be fulfilled by developing and marketing products which “harness” both natural and cultural endowments, hopefully benefiting both present and future tourism generation, it added.
The DOT has set its eyes on the vaccination of tourism workers, often touted by government officials and market watchers as the key to resuscitating the ailing economy. Just recently, it announced plans to inoculate thousands of tourism workers in Bohol, one of the country’s most famous tourist spots.
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