Hong Kong News

Nonpartisan, Noncommercial, unconstrained.
Thursday, Oct 03, 2024

Philippines launches incentive program for OFWs to bring more tourists home

Philippines launches incentive program for OFWs to bring more tourists home

Authorities in the Philippines launched a new incentive program on Thursday, aimed at overseas Filipino workers to encourage them to bring foreign visitors to the country.
The “Bisita (Visitor) Be My Guest” program, introduced by the Department of Tourism in cooperation with the Department of Migrant Workers, the Tourism Promotions Board, and the private sector, aims to boost the Southeast Asian nation’s hospitality sectors as it recovers from two years of coronavirus-induced shutdowns.

“We’re very happy to launch the ‘Bisita Be My Guest’ program,” Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco told reporters in Manila.

“This will give Filipinos, especially our OFWs and those living abroad, opportunities to receive incentives and prizes for bringing home a foreign friend, spouse or family into the Philippines.

“Now as travel restrictions have eased, we look forward to inviting our foreign friends and guests to visit our country and to offer a wide range of culturally rich experiences along with all types of outdoor recreational activities on water and on land,” Frasco said.

The incentives include raffle prizes such as condominium units, cars, and holiday packages, as well as privilege cards for discounts at various malls, hotels and restaurants across the country.

As most of Filipino migrant workers live in the Middle East, the project is expected to help increase arrivals from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and other countries in the region, Frasco said.

“I had a listening tour with stakeholders in that region, and they’re very excited to partner with the Philippines to harness the Middle Eastern market for us.”

Saudi Arabia, home to over 800,000 Filipino expats, is the Philippines’ main tourism market in the Middle East.

“All of them are so eager to help our country,” Migrant Workers Secretary Susan Ople said during the program’s launch.

“This program gives them a vehicle to do just that.”

The Philippines, known for its white sand beaches and famous diving spots, is dependent on tourism. In 2019, nearly 8.3 million foreign tourists visited the country and the hospitality sector generated around $44 billion — about 13 percent of the country’s GDP, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.

Most tourism destinations in the country were forced to shut down when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, dealing a major blow to the industry. Foreign arrivals slumped by 82 percent.

This year, tourism recovery efforts have yielded results following the lifting of several coronavirus restrictions.

By Dec. 15, official data showed that nearly 2.4 million foreign tourists had visited the Philippines.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Hong Kong News
0:00
0:00
Close
It's always the people with the dirty hands pointing their fingers
Paper straws found to contain long-lasting and potentially toxic chemicals - study
FTX's Bankman-Fried headed for jail after judge revokes bail
Blackrock gets half a trillion dollar deal to rebuild Ukraine
Steve Jobs' Son Launches Venture Capital Firm With $200 Million For Cancer Treatments
Google reshuffles Assistant unit, lays off some staffers, to 'supercharge' products with A.I.
End of Viagra? FDA approved a gel against erectile dysfunction
UK sanctions Russians judges over dual British national Kara-Murza's trial
US restricts visa-free travel for Hungarian passport holders because of security concerns
America's First New Nuclear Reactor in Nearly Seven Years Begins Operations
Southeast Asia moves closer to economic unity with new regional payments system
Political leader from South Africa, Julius Malema, led violent racist chants at a massive rally on Saturday
Today Hunter Biden’s best friend and business associate, Devon Archer, testified that Joe Biden met in Georgetown with Russian Moscow Mayor's Wife Yelena Baturina who later paid Hunter Biden $3.5 million in so called “consulting fees”
'I am not your servant': IndiGo crew member, passenger get into row over airline meal
Singapore Carries Out First Execution of a Woman in Two Decades Amid Capital Punishment Debate
Spanish Citizenship Granted to Iranian chess player who removed hijab
US Senate Republican Mitch McConnell freezes up, leaves press conference
Speaker McCarthy says the United States House of Representatives is getting ready to impeach Joe Biden.
San Francisco car crash
This camera man is a genius
3D ad in front of Burj Khalifa
Next level gaming
BMW driver…
Google testing journalism AI. We are doing it already 2 years, and without Google biased propoganda and manipulated censorship
Unlike illegal imigrants coming by boats - US Citizens Will Need Visa To Travel To Europe in 2024
Musk announces Twitter name and logo change to X.com
The politician and the journalist lost control and started fighting on live broadcast.
The future of sports
Unveiling the Black Hole: The Mysterious Fate of EU's Aid to Ukraine
Farewell to a Music Titan: Tony Bennett, Renowned Jazz and Pop Vocalist, Passes Away at 96
Alarming Behavior Among Florida's Sharks Raises Concerns Over Possible Cocaine Exposure
Transgender Exclusion in Miss Italy Stirs Controversy Amidst Changing Global Beauty Pageant Landscape
Joe Biden admitted, in his own words, that he delivered what he promised in exchange for the $10 million bribe he received from the Ukraine Oil Company.
TikTok Takes On Spotify And Apple, Launches Own Music Service
Global Trend: Using Anti-Fake News Laws as Censorship Tools - A Deep Dive into Tunisia's Scenario
Arresting Putin During South African Visit Would Equate to War Declaration, Asserts President Ramaphosa
Hacktivist Collective Anonymous Launches 'Project Disclosure' to Unearth Information on UFOs and ETIs
Typo sends millions of US military emails to Russian ally Mali
Server Arrested For Theft After Refusing To Pay A Table's $100 Restaurant Bill When They Dined & Dashed
The Changing Face of Europe: How Mass Migration is Reshaping the Political Landscape
China Urges EU to Clarify Strategic Partnership Amid Trade Tensions
The Last Pour: Anchor Brewing, America's Pioneer Craft Brewer, Closes After 127 Years
Democracy not: EU's Digital Commissioner Considers Shutting Down Social Media Platforms Amid Social Unrest
Sarah Silverman and Renowned Authors Lodge Copyright Infringement Case Against OpenAI and Meta
Why Do Tech Executives Support Kennedy Jr.?
The New York Times Announces Closure of its Sports Section in Favor of The Athletic
BBC Anchor Huw Edwards Hospitalized Amid Child Sex Abuse Allegations, Family Confirms
Florida Attorney General requests Meta CEO's testimony on company's platforms' alleged facilitation of illicit activities
The Distorted Mirror of actual approval ratings: Examining the True Threat to Democracy Beyond the Persona of Putin
40,000 child slaves in Congo are forced to work in cobalt mines so we can drive electric cars.
×