Govt Agencies to Collaborate, Bolster Food Tourism Promotion
Various government agencies have partnered up to boost the promotion of the country’s food tourism through a memorandum of understanding (MOU).
Filipino breakfast/IMAGE from Unsplash
The Department of Tourism (DOT), together with the Department of Agriculture (DA), the Philippine Culinary Heritage Movement (PCHM), and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), signed a Memorandum of Agreement on September 8 to create a framework of cooperation and to include food tourism in celebrating the Filipino Food Month every April.
Inked by Tourism Sec. Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, Agriculture Undersecretaries Evelyn Lavinia and Kristine Evangelista, NCCA Chairman Arsenio Lizaso, and PCHM President Chef Jam Melchor, the memorandum strives to encourage the preservation and promotion of our culinary traditions to ensure their transmission to the next generation and to support food tourism players such as farmers and agricultural communities.
IMAGE from DOT
“As we look forward to every annual celebration of Filipino Food Month, we would like to use this as a platform to promote travel for a taste of a place in order to get a sense of a place,” Puyat said during the virtual signing ceremony.
A technical working group comprised of the partner agencies will be created and will conduct meetings to ensure the implementation of activities and responsibilities detailed in the memorandum.
The tourism secretary also pledged her department’s full support and cooperation in the project, highlighting the untapped potential of Filipino food in tourism prior to the pandemic.
“Our own internal studies in the DOT have revealed that prior to the pandemic in 2019, inbound tourists spent 22.4% of their total expenditures on food and beverage items. For domestic tourists, 8% was devoted to F&B expenses, and a big chunk of shopping expenses were also spent on foodie treats,” Puyat said.
Source: Department of Tourism
