UN tourism head visits Phl

MANILA, Philippines - Taleb Rifai, secretary general of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), is in the country for a five-day visit.

He met with select Cabinet secretaries, businessmen and officials of the Tourism Congress of the Philippines to discuss the importance of tourism in economic recovery and the vital roles that government, business and civil society play in tourism development.

He visited Bohol for the presentation and turnover of the Bohol Tourism Recovery Plan, jointly prepared by the Department of Tourism (DOT), UNWTO, Pacific Area Travel Association (PATA) and USAID to help the province recover from the effects of last year’s earthquake. It includes a communication strategy to bring back the confidence of domestic and international travelers and of the communities, as well as an assessment of tourism infrastructure and assets that need to be prioritized for rehabilitation. 

Rifai also met with local government and private sector officials and toured the Tarsier Sanctuary, Loboc River, Loboc and Alburquerque churches.

From Bohol, Rigai proceeded to Tacloban City, Leyte to confer with officials of other UN organizations, local government and private sector on the proposed recovery plan for the province. He will also inspect possible sites for the DOT and UNWTO RE3START (Recover, Rebuild and Resilience through Sustainable Tourism with Climate Change Adaptation and Renewable Energy for The Philippines) Center, which aims to identify tourism-related climate actions, showcase innovative best practices and promote sustainable livelihood opportunities through entrepreneurship and employment in the tourism industry.

Yesterday, the UNWTO contingent went to Legazpi City, Albay for the UNWTO 26th Joint Meeting of the Commissions for Asia and the Pacific and South Asia which focused on air connectivity. 

Today, he will attend the UNWTO-ASEAN International Conference on Tourism and Climate Change, which will be attended by ASEAN National Tourism Organization (NTO) heads; officials of UNWTO, PATA, and USAID; key  government officials; tourism industry players and local government executives. President Aquino will keynote the meeting.