𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐤𝐨𝐤, 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 — Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) was one of the Philippines’ tourism representatives at the Delivering Value-Added Tourism Solutions in Asia and the Pacific Learning Program currently ongoing from November 11 to 13, 2024 at the Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand.
Commencing on Monday, November 11, the event opened with Welcome Remarks by Srinivas Sampath, Director for ADB’s Water and Urban Development Sector Office, which was followed by the Program Overview and Keynote Address delivered by UN Tourism Program Officer for Institutional Relations, Claudia Vieria Lisboa.
The 3-day event gathered tourism leaders from 11 countries around Asia, including the Philippines and Thailand, to present their best practices and to learn from each other on regional cooperation, partnerships and private sector development and digital initiatives focused on the tourism industry.
TIEZA Assistant Chief Operating Officer Atty. Karen Sarinas-Baydo participated in the panel discussion during the afternoon session with the theme of Transforming Tourism through Digital Initiatives, where she highlighted the key challenges and current initiatives in the Philippines tourism sector, discussing the crucial role of the government in driving and sustaining digital solutions.
“For internet connectivity in tourism destinations, our Department of Tourism has partnered with the Department of Information and Communication and Technology (DICT) to provide accessibility with internet providers. We also have partnerships with other agencies like the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Bureau of Immigration (BI) and other agencies for the enhancement of the issuance of visas, for e-travel, and for other government services. Our President has emphasized the need for the digitalization of government services so in terms of the government side, there has been a push.” she adds.
ACOO Baydo also spoke about the collaborative approach that the government engages with the private sector, citing the Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) that lead to the creation of integrated smart systems and using agencies such as TIEZA and the Department of Tourism (DOT) to gather and analyze tourism data to further improve customer experiences and promote investment opportunities. She made mention of the private sector-led Philippine Hotel Industry Strategic Action Plan (PHISAP) which was done by DOT in partnership with the Philippine Hotel Owners Association (PHOA) whereby data driven investments in the hospitality sector shall be facilitated through the boost of digital solutions.
The panel discussion was right after preliminary sessions held by Trevor Weltman of Clickable Asia who discussed Harnessing the Potential of Southeast Asian tourism, and AirBNB India and Southeast Asia Head of Policy Ms. Amisha Joshi, who discussed Unlocking Economic Opportunity Through Community Intervention and Digital Skilling. It was moderated by Subraja Subramanian, Deputy Country Director of Market Development Facility, Sri Lanka.
In addition to the tourism sessions, the Department of Tourism (DOT), represented by Assistant Secretary Gissela Marie R. Quisumbing, will lead a panel discussion on the topic of “Effective Destination Marketing” tomorrow. She will be joined by representatives from Thailand and Sri Lanka to share insights and strategies for promoting tourism effectively.
The event also featured field visits, networking opportunities between delegates, group discussions and a post-program evaluation facilitated by Asian Development Bank.