The Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT) aims to strengthen its bilateral relations with Thailand by signing on Sunday (Jan 19) the “Implementation Program of the Agreement on Cooperation on Tourism.”
Philippine Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco and Thailand Minister of Tourism and Sports Mr. Sorawong Thienthong officially inked the agreement at the DoubleTree Hotel in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. This initiative follows the longstanding partnership established by the original Agreement on Cooperation on Tourism, signed on March 24, 1993, in Manila.
“For the Philippines, this collaboration provides an exciting opportunity to tap into Thailand’s remarkable success in attracting visitors, particularly in cultural and medical tourism areas. We can benefit from Thailand’s robust arrival numbers, internationally recognized cultural heritage, and world-class medical services, which will undoubtedly enhance our tourism offerings,” said Secretary Frasco.
“In return, Thailand stands to gain from the Philippine expertise in hospitality, where we have earned a reputation for excellence,” she added.
Additionally, the Philippines is a premier destination for dive tourism—home to some of the world’s most biodiverse marine ecosystems—and for English language tourism, where our world-class language schools attract students from all over the globe,” added the Philippine Tourism Chief.
Minister Thienthong expressed his enthusiasm, saying, “Thank you for signing this MOU, for exchanging our knowledge and technology, and we are looking forward to working with the Philippines.”
The program, set to run from 2025 to 2030, aims to enhance bilateral tourism cooperation, promoting mutual growth and development within the tourism sectors of both nations. Key areas of focus have been outlined to facilitate this collaboration:
Tourism Cooperation: Efforts will be made to strengthen travel facilitation, enhance research and development, and improve tourism management and operations. Capacity building, training, and joint marketing efforts will also be prioritized.
Exchange of Best Practices: A core component of the program will be the exchange of successful strategies in sustainable tourism, cultural heritage tourism, tourism product development, and domestic tourism development.
Human Resource Development: The program encourages collaboration between tourism-related institutions to share technical materials and conduct training programs to enhance tourism professionals’ skills.
Exchange of Officials and Staff Delegation visits will be organized to facilitate capacity building and the exchange of knowledge and best practices.
Joint Tourism Promotions and Marketing: Collaborative marketing initiatives will focus on increasing tourist traffic between the two countries. This includes joint promotional packages and familiarization tours for media and travel agents.
Key focus areas include Tourism Cooperation, the Exchange of Best Practices, Human Resource Development, and Joint Tourism Promotions and Marketing.
To ensure successful implementation, a Joint Working Group (JWG) will be established to oversee coordination and monitor the program’s activities and deliverables.
“The signing of the Implementation Program of the Agreement on Cooperation in Tourism between our two nations underscores our deep cultural, economic and historical connections. As we position ourselves as “two countries, one destination,” we recognize the incredible potential of combining our strengths to offer travelers a truly unforgettable experience,” enthused Secretary Frasco.
Also present from the Thailand delegation are Jakkaphon Tangsutthitham, Vice Minister for Tourism and Sports; Nutthira Phangkhun, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Tourism; Puripan Boonnag, Director of MICE Capabilities Development Department; Weeraphat Chinnaphan, Tourism Services Development Expert Acting Director of Tourism Professional Development Divisio; and Katesaraporn Wimonrat, Director of the International Affairs Division.
Meanwhile, DOT officials present include Undersecretaries Verna C. Buensuceso, Maria Rica Bueno, and Myra Paz Abubakkar; Assistant Secretaries Czarina Zara Loyola and Ronald Conopio, and Director Alven Talisic.