THE Department of Tourism (DoT) of the Philippines and the Thai Ministry of Tourism and Sports have signed an agreement to help develop cultural and medical tourism in the Philippines.
In a statement on Monday, the DoT said the five-year deal was signed on Jan. 19 in Johor Bahru, Malaysia.
“For the Philippines, this collaboration provides an exciting opportunity to tap into Thailand’s remarkable success in attracting visitors, particularly in areas such as cultural tourism and medical tourism,” Tourism Secretary Ma. Christina G. Frasco said.
“We can benefit from Thailand’s robust arrival numbers, its internationally recognized cultural heritage, and world-class medical services, which will undoubtedly enhance our own tourism offerings,” she added.
Meanwhile, she said Thailand can tap Philippine expertise in dive tourism and English-language training for tourism workers.
The agreement, set to run until 2030, conforms to the agreement of cooperation initially signed by the two countries in 1993.
The two sides have promised to exchange successful strategies in sustainable tourism, cultural heritage tourism, tourism product development, and domestic tourism development.
Both countries will also organize exchanges of officials and delegations for capacity building and exchange of knowledge. — Justine Irish D. Tabile