The Department of Tourism (DOT) further reinforced its technical assessment of tourism traffic to the country to capture the aggregate and accurate state of tourism and its contribution to the economy.

“We have expanded our assessment to include a more systematic and in-depth analysis of top destinations to provide a clearer insight on the tourism movements throughout the country.  Understanding these movements allows us to create strategies to further support the development of these destinations.  This system also creates awareness for these places in the national level,” said Tourism Secretary Ace Durano. Continue Reading »

The Ford Escape is again designated as the official chase crew-vehicle because it is deemed as the perfect SUV to navigate through the rough Pampanga terrain, be it across smooth highways, or through rivers and estuaries, rice fields, rough roads and lahar-covered fields. Continue Reading »

Brokenness and wholeness coexist side by side.  We yearn to make whole that which has been broken, to repair what has been damaged, and to reconnect that which has become separated. Continue Reading »

Total tourist traffic in the top fourteen (14) destinations in 2009 reached 8.9 million for 14% growth.  This feat is attributed to the combined efforts of the Department of Tourism, the private sector, local government units and other stakeholders to continually diversify the tourism products, increase accommodation and transport capacities, and upgrade existing tourism services.

Cebu is the top destination with tourist traffic increasing by 1.2% to 1.61 million.  Korea remained the top tourist market for Cebu accounting for 29% share of total foreign tourists.  Notably, Chinese tourists to Cebu remarkably grew by 70% as more charter flights were mounted between Cebu and Shanghai, as well as to Guangzhou.   A hefty growth in tourists from Kuwait was also recorded as students from the said markets streamed to Cebu for short-educational programs. Continue Reading »

The Department of Tourism (DOT) welcomes once more the cast and crew of “Survivor Israel,” the Israeli franchise of the hit American TV reality game show “Survivor” in the Caramoan Island in the province of Camarines Sur.

After filming one edition of Hisardot (Survivor) last year, the production outfit is back in the Gota Village Resort in Caramoan to film another edition of the tv show starting this February, with the program to be telecast in Israel until early June of this year.

Ace Durano, Secretary of Tourism, expressed his excitement over the fourth time that a Survivor media outfit is filming in Caramoan: “Survivor Israel has once more given the Philippines a one of a kind exposure, reinforcing what it has done last year, that is, promoting a sampling of the country through Caramoan, as one of the world’s top travel destinations.” Continue Reading »