Pinuri ni Aklan 2nd District Rep. Teodorico Haresco, Jr. ang Department of Tourism (DOT) at si Tourism Secretary Cristina Frasco sa maraming mga nagawa nito para palakasin ang turismo ng bansa.
Ito ay sa gitna na rin ng ilang isyu na ipinukol sa DOT sa nakalipas na mga araw.
“The Department of Tourism has been making the Philippines proud with its multitude of accomplishments ever since Secretary Frasco took the helm and steered the country’s travel and tourism industry to economic recovery and development,” ani Haresco.
Patunay aniya dito ang pagkamit sa target tourist arrivals.
Tinukoy nito na noong 2022, nalampasan ng bansa ang 1.7 milyong target nito sa pagtatapos ng taon na may 2.65 milyong international visitor arrivals, o katumbas ng P208.96 billion o USD 3.68 billion na kita sa turismo.
Para sa 2023 naman, nakapagtala na aniya ang DOT ng 2,029,419 kabuuang foreign tourist arrivals hanggang noong May 15, 2023.
Sa isla aniya ng Boracay, hanggang nitong June 17 ay 1,040,847 na turista na ang bumisita, (199,098 foreign visitors; 816,426 local tourists, 25,323 overseas Filipino workers)
“Through the DOT’s innovations and support, Boracay Island in the 2nd District of Aklan alone has reached its 1 million tourists mark mid-year and is expected to exceed its 1.8 million target by end of the year in hopes of contributing more to the country’s economic development,” pagbabahagi ng Aklan solon.
Maliban dito, nakatanggap din aniya ang ahensya ng international recognition at awards.
Kabilang dito ang pagkakasama ng Pilipinas sa Asia category ng 30th World Travel Awards (WTA).
“I put my confidence in Sec. Frasco and the DOT for their graceful and magnanimous vision with the new tourism campaign – #LoveThePhilippines, indeed our love letter to the world,” dagdag ng mambabatas. | ulat ni Kathleen Jean Forbes
