The Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT) and Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports have extended their tourism development cooperation with the signing of the Implementation Program of the Agreement on Cooperation on Tourism on January 19 on the sidelines of the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2025.
Both agencies first established a tourism partnership in March 1993 through the Agreement on Cooperation on Tourism.
Philippine tourism secretary Christina Garcia Frasco said: “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. We can benefit from Thailand’s robust arrival numbers, its internationally recognised cultural heritage, and world-class medical services, which will undoubtedly enhance our own tourism offerings.
“In return, Thailand stands to gain from the Philippine expertise in hospitality, where we have earned a reputation for excellence. Additionally, the Philippines is a premier destination for dive tourism – home to some of the world’s most biodiverse marine ecosystems – and for English language tourism, where our world-class language schools attract students from all over the globe.”
The programme, set to run from 2025 to 2030, aims to enhance bilateral tourism cooperation, promoting mutual growth and development within the tourism sectors of both nations. Key areas of focus include cooperation in strengthening travel facilitation, enhancing research and development, and improving tourism management and operations; exchange of best practices; talent development; exchange of officials and staff delegation; and joint tourism promotions and marketing.
A Joint Working Group will be established to oversee coordination and monitor the activities and deliverables of the programme.
