Seven tourist destinations in the Philippines are being built up as resilient, inclusive, sustainable tourism showcase communities.
The Department of Tourism (DOT) announced towards the weekend that plans are in place for coordinated efforts between the agency and key stakeholders to help local communities thrive amidst nationwide tourism efforts.
The DOT convened selected organizations to help realize the Transforming Communities towards Resilient, Inclusive and Sustainable Tourism (TouRIST) Program.
The TouRIST sites were selected “because of the rapid increase of tourism demand, potential for future development, lack of financing to address emerging capital investment needs, rich cultural heritage sites and biodiversity, and socio-economic impact for poverty alleviation,” noted the DOT report.
“The TouRIST Program will be a vehicle for us to implement a coordinated effort between the various government organizations and instrumentalities, and realize sustainable tourism development,” DOT Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said.
The TouRIST program has identified the following travel sites for its implementation:
Key organizations to help the TouRIST program that have been tapped by the tourism agency include the World Bank Group, Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), and the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
Local chief executives and representatives from target destinations were also convened to kick-off the TouRIST program.
The TouRIST program of the DOT in partnership with the World Bank Group and national government agencies will be a platform for integrated approach and collaboration, is supervised by the Tourism Coordinating Council (TCC).
Technical missions to the targeted destinations are expected to be conducted in October.
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