Catriona Gray’s Miss Universe victory seen to boost tourism

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Tourism (DOT) sees a brighter year for the Philippine travel industry in 2019 after Filipino beauty queen Catriona Gray won the Miss Universe crown last week in Bangkok, Thailand. 

DOT Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said Gray not only showed the universe her strength as a woman, but also the beauty of the Philippines through her video clips that helped promote the country’s culture and tourist attractions. 

In a series of video clips filmed before heading to Thailand for the Miss Universe 2018 pageant, Gray promoted the unique destinations and diverse cultures in Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao. 

Gray showed Luzon’s Rizal Park, Fort Santiago, churches in Intramuros and the world-renowned Palawan. She also showed the resilience of Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) survivors in Tacloban City and Mindanao’s multi-faceted South Cotabato.   

The beauty queen also showed the country’s artistic side through her national costume. 

“Throughout the Miss Universe competition, Miss Gray evoked the Filipino people’s essential attributes of friendliness, cheerfulness, hospitality and kindness when she was around the representatives of different nations,” read a DOT statement. 

Puyat, who met Gray when she paid a courtesy visit to President Duterte on Thursday, said the DOT is looking forward “to continuing and strengthening” their collaboration with her in the coming year. 

The DOT earlier said it has set its tourist arrival target to 8.2 million for 2019, which is a little higher than the 7.2-million target in 2018 despite the closure or rehabilitation of some of the country’s top tourist attractions. It qualified though that this would still be modified by January when it reviews the National Tourism Development Plan with the Tourism Congress of the Philippines.  

Although the DOT fell short of its 7.2-million tourist arrival target for 2018 due to the six-month closure of Boracay, it said the country’s tourist arrivals have increased by 7.43 percent from January to October as compared to the same period last year. 

Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Gray could join the ranks of the Philippine Army reserve force if she so desires.

“She is always welcome. She must join the Army. I’ll talk to her if she wants to be a military reservist,” said Lorenzana, a retired Army general.

According to its rules, an individual may volunteer to become a reservist of the Philippine military – either with the Army, Air Force or Navy.

Among the top personalities in the reserve command are Senators Emmanuel Pacquiao, Sonny Angara, Joseph Ejercito and Loren Legarda; and Representatives Pantaleon Alvarez of Davao del Norte, Feliciano Belmonte of Quezon City, Vilma Santos of Batangas and Rodolfo Fariñas of Ilocos Norte. –  With Jaime Laude