DOT: PH to Host International Tourism Conference Next Year
The Department of Tourism (DOT) announced that the country will be hosting the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) Global Summit in March 2022.
The WTTC Global Summit is an annual event that gathers over 800 delegates representing the largest and most prominent international travel and tourism companies from airlines, hotels, resorts, travel agencies, and tour companies.
In the press conference during the 2021 Philippines Travel Exchange (PHITEX), Sec. Puyat further explained that the biggest international tourism conference is approved by Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID).
She reassured that the DOT will comply with the stringent health and safety protocols in place before and during the summit proper.
The WTTC Global Summit was supposed to be held in October this year, however, due to the global pandemic, it was moved to March 2021.
The DOT remains optimistic that the event will help spur the recovery of the hardest-hit sector as international travel remains limited across the globe.
“Many of our tourism products have been recalibrated to cater to the shifting demands of the new normal. I can assure you that future visitors of the country will still be able to experience the high caliber service and hospitality that Filipinos are renowned for,” Puyat said.
IMAGE from the Department of Tourism
At present, domestic travel gradually resumes and the DOT would continue its vaccination of tourism workers primarily in tourist-magnet destinations.
In addition, the DOT is also aiming to shorten the required quarantine days for future inbound travelers for the total recovery of the sector amid massive revenue and job losses.
“We are always striking a balance. But of course, without compromising health and safety. For us, we want fewer travel restrictions, but at the end of the day, we have to listen to the doctors,” Puyat explained.
Puyat also shared that the DOT is closely studying the tourism reopening models being implemented in neighboring countries, including the Phuket Sandbox model piloted by Thailand authorities in July.
“Sustainable tourism development is at the core of everything we do. Our recovery plans are not mere band-aid solutions,” she ended.
Source: Department of Tourism.
Written by Cedie Salido
