Transport infra, lower travel costs seen as next Tourism chief’s priorities
By Beatriz Marie D. Cruz, Reporter
REFORMS to reduce the cost of travel and improve connectivity infrastructure should top the to-do list of the next secretary of Tourism, analysts said over the weekend.
John Paolo R. Rivera, a senior research fellow at the Philippine Institute for Development Studies, said the upcoming leadership should address challenges like high travel costs and capacity constraints in some local destinations.
“The Department of Tourism (DoT) will need to address several structural issues — including improvements to airport and transport infrastructure; expanding flight connectivity; strengthening destination management; and enhancing tourism workforce skills,” he said in a Viber message.
To boost visitor demand and spending, Mr. Rivera also cited the need to develop niche segments in the tourism industry, including eco-tourism, cruise tourism, and cultural tourism.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. last week removed Ma. Christina G. Frasco as Tourism secretary. She was reassigned as the Presidential Adviser for Sustainable and Resilient Communities.
“The next secretary of Tourism inherits a mandate more demanding than any predecessor,” Alfred Lay, director for hotels, tourism, and leisure at Leechiu Property Consultants, said in a Viber message.
“We are years behind on infrastructure, and we have yet to fully articulate what makes this country irreplaceable as a destination,” he said.
Joey Roi H. Bondoc, director and head of research at Colliers Philippines, said other forms of tourism-related infrastructure that the DoT should invest in are roads, bridges, help desks, and even proper comfort rooms.
“I think PPPs (public-private partnerships) will really be crucial at this point, especially for infrastructure development that will benefit the tourism sector,” he said via telephone.
The DoT can invest in promoting the Philippines on foreign broadcasting channels to attract more international tourists, he said.
Rogelio Alicor L. Panao, an associate professor at the University of the Philippines Department of Political Science, said the country must align its tourism promotions on its unique selling points.
“The Philippines has equally rich cultural and natural assets, yet it has failed to translate them into a coherent global tourism narrative,” he said in an e-mail.
Mr. Panao cited Korea’s hallyu, which leveraged Korean culture though music, television, and food. Likewise, Taiwan and Vietnam have positioned themselves as global travel destinations through film and heritage branding.
Tourism arrivals reached 6.48 million in 2025, according to the Bureau of Immigration. However, this remains below neighboring Southeast Asian markets such as Malaysia (38.2 million), Thailand (32.9 million), and Vietnam (21.1 million).
“Maybe appointing a technocratic leader or a career tourism professional could potentially shift the focus toward institutional continuity and long-term sectoral strategy,” Mr. Panao said.
