The Philippines’ sustainable tourism action plan won first place in the 2019 Korea Partnership Initiative on Sustainable Tourism (KOPIST) held in Jeju and Seoul in South Korea.
The action plan from the Department of Tourism’s Office of Tourism Development Planning, Research and Information Management (OTDPRIM) won the Action Plan Development Competition in the 2019 KOPIST High-Level Policy Forum and Working-Level Workshop.
The Philippines’ winning action plan “Development of an Innovative Tourism-Related Micro, Small, Medium Enterprise Network” was presented by the DOT officers, Rey Jean Almazan and Rochelle Ann Eneria.
The Philippine action plan bested entries from 10 other countries including Sri Lanka in 2nd place, and Paraguay and Mongolia tied at 3rd spot. The other participants include: Cambodia, India, Laos, Mongolia, Nepal, Peru, and Vietnam.
The DOT report describes the award-winning sustainable tourism action plan as one that “aims to support tourism-oriented MSMEs in the country through the creation of a framework mechanism that would link local investors and increase the viability of existing and new enterprises. By providing technical assistance, it aims to attain capacity development and access to funding, and envisions increased job generation for the tourism industry.”
The competition held July 5 was held in conjunction with the KOPIST 11-day workshop to support sustainable tourism efforts in the participating countries.
DOT reports that as a result of the winning action plan presentation, the Philippines is eligible for an extensive project development training program and an Official Development Assistance (ODA) from the government of the Republic of Korea.
The challenge for sustainable tourism has been addressed by various sectors in the Philippines as the tourism agency reported record-breaking foreign tourist arrivals in the first half of this year.
Sustainable tourism initiatives have been implemented by both the private sector and government agencies such as Cebu Pacific with their Juan Effect campaign on air and to protect Siargao, the rehabilitation of Boracay island, the preservation of Vigan, and the protection of women and children affected by tourism.
SEND congratulations in the comments below for the DOT for leading the way towards implementing sustainable tourism in the Philippines!
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