The Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Japanese Government’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism (MLITT) have signed a landmark agreement that is seen to expand opportunities for tourism development between the two countries.
This, as DOT Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco and MLIT Minister Tetsuo Saito signed a Memorandum of Cooperation for tourism, the first stand alone cooperation agreement between the two nations.
The contract was exchanged in the presence of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during the latter’s first official visit to the Philippines from November 3 to 4.
Both countries agreed to strengthen and further develop Philippines-Japan ties in the field of tourism by increasing tourist arrivals for both countries from world tourist-generating markets.
Under the cooperation agreement, both countries agreed to strengthen and further develop Philippines-Japan ties in the field of tourism by increasing tourist arrivals for both countries from world tourist-generating markets; encouraging more tourists to visit various tourist destinations and attractions, including rural areas in each other’s country; encouraging mutual visits and traffic of high-value-added travelers to increase tourism consumption; encouraging healthy growth of tourism industry of Philippines and Japan especially on the aspects of education, culture, gastronomy, sustainable tourism, and adventure.
This shall increase tourism revenues for our stakeholders, usher in more tourism investments, and create more jobs.
“𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘔𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘮 𝘰𝘧 𝘊𝘰𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘯 𝘛𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘮 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘰𝘴 𝘈𝘥𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴’ 𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘑𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘮 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘑𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘦, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘵𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘶𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘧𝘶𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘮 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘭𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘢𝘪𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘦𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵, 𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦, 𝘨𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘮𝘺, 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘮 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘶𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘶𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘮 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘫𝘰𝘣𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘍𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘰𝘴, 𝘢𝘴 𝘦𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘍𝘦𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘰𝘴, 𝘑𝘳.,” Frasco said.
Japan is considered as one of the country’s top source of visitors ranking third as of November 2, 2023 with nearly a quarter of a million arrivals into the Philippines.
Additionally, both countries will engage in the exchange of information on matters related to the industry; education and training; ensure means of mutual traffic through the enhancement of air and sea connectivity, and joint promotional programs, as well as enhance transport connectivity to sustain people-to-people exchange and the influx of travelers, and ensure tourist safety.
The Philippines and Japan also agreed to cooperate in terms of ensuring safety among tourists while they are staying in their respective countries.
A joint working group composed of senior officials from the DOT and MLITT will be convened for the proper implementation of the MOC which will run for five years, and is subject for renewal.
The Philippines and Japan formally established diplomatic relations in July 1956.
