The 21st World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) Global Summit on 20-22 April 2022, held in Manila, Philippines, is seen as an opportunity to reopen the country to international visitors and to sustain the Travel and Tourism competitiveness and resiliency.
WTTC’s annual Global Summit is the most influential Travel & Tourism event on the calendar. This year, industry leaders gathered with key government representatives to continue aligning efforts to support the sector’s recovery and move toward a safer, more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable future. Discussed in the Summit are the latest travel trends, sustainable investment prospects, regenerative tourism, and seamless travel in a pandemic era, among others.
Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat remarked that the WTTC Global Summit is a significant opportunity for the Philippines to showcase the Department’s preparations for the country’s eventual reopening to international visitors.
The Summit gathered 1,200 local and foreign delegates, including the world’s foremost business leaders, government ministers, and key decision-makers in the tourism industry, surpassing the 600 initial estimates for in-person attendees. More than 20 Ministerial and 600+ International delegates from over 40 countries attended in person, while 30,000+ watched virtually.
Furthermore, the DOT made several bilateral talks during the said event with major tourism organization representatives and counterparts from Thailand, South Africa, and India, for agreements with less restrictive travels despite the observance of the Pandemic.
The DOT is one of the 18 agencies directed under the Memorandum Circular No. 27 to support the implementation of the Philippine Export Development Plan (PEDP). The DOT “shall increase the country’s market share in international tourism by, among others, initiating policies that will encourage the development of competitive tourism facilities and services, thus contributing to the increase in services exports through the generation of foreign currency earnings.” And with the implementation of the Carnet system in the country very soon, this will further strengthen the Tourism competitiveness and resiliency, benefiting those businesses that cater to Tourism MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, and Events).PKC