DOT prepares NTDP, focuses on domestic tourism

MANILA, Philippines — The preparation of the next National Tourism Development Plan (NTDP), as well as the continued push for domestic tourism, are among the initiatives that the Department of Tourism (DOT) will focus on next year.

In an email to The STAR, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said the DOT is preparing for the next NTDP, which will cover the period 2022-2027.

“That plan will boldly reinvent and reform the tourism industry in the next six years. It will be formulated using the bottoms-up approach to elicit engagement starting at the grassroots level,” Puyat said.

Puyat said the DOT is also updating the current NTDP covering the period 2016 to 2022 to reflect changes brought about by the “new normal” and in preparation for similar adversities that the country may face in the future.

“The update will include an assessment and evaluation of policy measures to mitigate the impact of COVID-19, developing model scenarios to steer the industry during times of crisis, and identifying and refocusing products to be prioritized,” Puyat said.

The current NTDP adopts a cluster approach which supports the development of 20 identified tourism clusters comprising 49 tourism development areas (TDAs).

The said clusters and development areas are designed to increase visitor length of stay and expenditure following the right combination of tourist attractions, transport networks, urban capitals and service center, as well as key tourism infrastructure.

The current NTDP also uses a convergence approach which seeks to promote strong institutional partnership through shared responsibilities among national, regional and local tourism stakeholders.

Among the key targets of the current NTDP include revenues of P3.905 trillion, foreign visitor arrivals of 12 million and domestic visitors of 89.2 million by 2022.

The Philippines has already breached the domestic tourists target of 2022 as it registered close to 110 million domestic trips in 2019.

Meanwhile, Puyat said domestic tourism would remain to be the DOT’s focus next year.

“For now, while restrictions on international travel continue to be enforced around the world, we will be focusing on domestic tourism and we hope to reopen more destinations in 2021,” Puyat said.

Several local tourist destinations have opened their doors to domestic tourists in recent months such as Boracay, Baguio, Siargao, El Nido as well as Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte.

“Aside from having more destinations reopening to local tourists in the coming year, we look forward to the creation of travel bubbles with nearby countries,” Puyat said.