MANILA, 31 August 2022: Philippines Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco met with her counterpart Thailand Ministry of Tourism and Sports (MOTS) Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, last week to renew a tourism bilateral agreement.
They met on the sidelines of the 11th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Tourism Ministerial Meeting (TMM) to discuss various projects to improve bilateral tourism, including English as a Second Language trips and tourist circuits.
Secretary Frasco gained the support of Thailand’s Minister of Tourism and Sports Phipat Ratchakitprakarn to renew the “Implementing Programme of Cooperation between the Philippines and Thailand in the areas of travel facilitation, research, and development, education and training, tourism initiatives, human capital development and employment generation.
The Philippines and Thailand signed off on the original Implementing Programme of a Tourism Cooperation Agreement for 2017 to 2022 on 21 March 2017.
Regarding renewing the agreement, Thailand’s tourism minister said: “We are delighted already to extend … we see it as a very, very good idea between our two countries. I want to discuss the exchange of tourists. I understand that we have more tourists from the Philippines than Thais going to the Philippines … I want to change this and for our departments to engage in public relations with the Philippines so we can increase Thai tourists going to the Philippines”.
As of 14 August, the Philippines registered 1.2 million visitors; of that total, just 6,401 of the arrivals came from Thailand.
During the meeting, Secretary Frasco also explored the possibility of collaborating with Thailand to boost Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitions (MICE) tourism, educational tourism, particularly English as a second language, and food tourism.
Minister Phipat also raised the subject of a tourism circuit combining the Philippines and Thailand for visitors outside Asia.
DOT talks to Thai tourism players
While in Bangkok, Secretary Frasco reached out to tourism stakeholders in Thailand to explore ways to entice more Thai tourists to visit The Philippines by possibly promoting educational tourism, dive holidays, events and expanding airline services.
Discussions focused on developing links between Thailand, Japan, and the Philippines as participants noted the Philippines’ strength in tourism linked to English as Second Language (ESL) tuition.
Tourism leaders and travel agents attending the sessions included the Thai Travel Agents Association (TTAA), Esque Lifestyle & Travel; Jubilee Travel Co Ltd; Dive Potato; SC World Express; Big World Holiday; Worldwide Agency Co Ltd; Abroad Land; Pleione Travel Co Ltd; Supertrips Co Ltd; All Around Trading & Holidays Co Ltd; Kor Pun Gun; Bright Idea; Mango Learning Express; Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific Air (Thailand); Thai Air Asia; and Siam Tourism Group.
(Source: DOT Philippines)
