Mariecar Jara-Puyod, Senior Reporter

The Philippines’ Tourism Secretary Maria Christina Garcia Frasco is leading a delegation at the “Arabian Travel Mart (ATM) 2024.” Aim is to make the archipelago of 7,641 islands, a “tourism powerhouse in Asia.”

Under the ATM theme of “Empowering Innovation-Transforming Travel through Entrepreneurship,” among the focus of the  group, that include 16 private sector players and “select” House of Representatives members, is the furtherance of the awareness on the Travel Philippines app, a Department of Tourism (DoT) and Tourism Promotions Board (TBP) project; and the existence of 19 Investment Promotions (IPs) agencies.

TPB chief operating officer Maria Margarita Montemayor Nograles told Gulf Today, “The Travel Philippines app serves as a handy resource for travel information and a passport to discover un-chartered destinations. Users can plan their own unique journeys across the country’s diverse provinces, access exclusive travel deals and promotions, and effortlessly manage digital travel documents. It is to bridge the gap between wanderlust and convenience.

In primary position to promoting the islands as the international destination for world-class resorts, hotels, restaurants and entertainment is the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone.

It is also hoped that with these agenda, livelihood opportunities for 5.35 million Filipinos which is 11.4 per cent of the total employment in the country, and who are reliant on tourism and tourism-related work, are improved.