Makati city: Tourism demand in the Philippines remains strong despite volatilities and challenges besetting the industry, Tourism chief Dita Angara-Mathay said Wednesday. Speaking at the Tourism Congress of the Philippines (TCP) conference on tourism resilience in Makati City, Angara-Mathay said foreign visitor arrivals from January to April 27, reached 2.24 million, up nearly 9 percent year-on-year.

According to Philippines News Agency, Angara-Mathay emphasized that the Department of Tourism (DOT) would play a 'more active and deliberate role' in stakeholder coordination to further strengthen tourism in the Philippines. She underscored the importance of positioning tourism resilience as an economic priority, noting its contribution to nearly 9 percent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) and its support for employment.

Angara-Mathay highlighted her perspective shaped by her background in trade, investments, and industry development, viewing tourism as an ecosystem dependent on investment flows, supply chains, enterprise development, infrastructure, and market access. She stressed the need for inputs, coordination, investment, and disciplined execution to guide their work.

She also outlined DOT's strategic direction for the coming years, focusing on connectivity, domestic tourism, destination readiness, investment, ease of entry, and priority markets, such as China, India, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, North America, Australia, and Europe. Angara-Mathay acknowledged the structural challenges in infrastructure, connectivity, and investment, urging for sustained effort and long-term commitment without delay.

The Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), DOT's infrastructure arm, remains organized in financing training, education, and tourism infrastructure. Angara-Mathay assured transparency regarding the allocation of funding in a separate interview.