Event Details

Prior to the pandemic, the Philippine Tourism Sector was on a rise posting a positive trend with an average share of 7.4% in the Philippine GDP from 2000 to 2018. In 2019, the sector accounted for 12.7% of the GDP which is an increase from the reported figure of 12.3% in 2018 and 11.7% in 2017. Employment for the sector also increased from 5.36 million in 2018 to 5.71 million in 2019 posting a growth rate of 6.5%. Overall, the tourism sector accounted for about 13.5% of the country's total employment.


However, at the onslaught of the pandemic, the tourism sector experienced a significant setback as the government imposed quarantine and social distancing protocols. Data from the Department of Tourism show that the country was only able to generate PhP85 million from foreign arrivals during the first three months of the year which is significantly smaller than the PhP134 billion that the country earned within the same period in 2019.


The Tourism Reboot Forum Series intends to re-introduce the new Philippine Tourism Sector amidst the new normal, provide insights on the current initiatives from the government and private sector and possible recommendations/solutions for policy makers on how to help the sector get back on its feet.


In the first installment of the series of tourism advocacy fora entitled, "Turning Challenges into Opportunities'', we will get insights on how businesses in different sectors were able to cope with the impacts of the pandemic and turn challenges into opportunities. The webinar aims to provide a platform for sharing of best practices and collective knowledge among entrepreneurs across a wide range of industries. Government initiatives and outlook for the tourism industry, among others, will also be shared.


For more information and partnership inquiries, please email Elena Tabbu at elena.tabbu@eccp.com

Speakers

  • Hon. Bernadette Romulo-Puyat (Secretary at Department of Tourism)

    Hon. Bernadette Romulo-Puyat

    Secretary at Department of Tourism

    Secretary Romulo-Puyat was a former lecturer at the UP School of Economics (1994- 2006). She also served as an Economic Consultant at the Housing and Urban Development Coordination Council (HUDCC) (2001-2002) and the Presidential Management Staff (2005-2006), and was Deputy Cabinet Secretary at the Office of the President in 2006.

    She was appointed as Undersecretary at the Department of Agriculture from 2007 to 2018 where she was designated to handle Special Concerns, Administration and Finance, and Agribusiness and Marketing.

    Secretary Romulo-Puyat assumed office as the Secretary of the Department of Tourism on May 14, 2018.

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  • Benito Bengzon, Jr. (Undersecretary at Department of Tourism)

    Benito Bengzon, Jr.

    Undersecretary at Department of Tourism

    Mr. Benito C. Bengzon Jr. is a career official at the Philippine Department of Tourism (PDOT). He has over 30 years of experience in tourism planning, policy formulation, investments, and product and market development. He is currently Undersecretary for Tourism Development and the spokesperson of the Department.

    He represents the Tourism Secretary in the boards of the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), the Duty Free Philippines Corporation (DFPC), the Philippine Commission on Sports SCUBA Diving (PCSSD), the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), the Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC), and the Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA). He also actively represents the PDOT in the ASEAN National Tourism

    Organization (ASEAN NTO), World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), Asia- Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), and Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA).

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  • Mr. Samuel David (Country Manager at IATA Philippines)

    Mr. Samuel David

    Country Manager at IATA Philippines

    Samuel S. David is the Country Manager of IATA, the association for the world’s airlines representing 83% of total commercial air traffic. IATA supports many areas of aviation activity and helps formulate industry policy on critical aviation issues.

    Sam served as Executive Director of the Board of Airline Representatives (BAR), the association of international airlines operating in the Philippines. Previously, he was the Country Manager of FedEx Philippines, the world’s largest air express transportation company, while also sitting as Vice-President and member of the Board of Directors of the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines for four years.

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  • Vina Flor Concepcion

    Vina Flor Concepcion "Dottie" Wurgler-Cronin

    General Manager at Sheraton Cebu Mactan Resort

  • Gwen Dela Cruz (General Manager at Seda Ayala Center Cebu (Cebu Insular Hotel Co. Inc.))

    Gwen Dela Cruz

    General Manager at Seda Ayala Center Cebu (Cebu Insular Hotel Co. Inc.)

  • AM

    Andrea Mastellone (Invited)

    Senior General Manager at Seda Hotels

  • AT

    Atty. Eugene T. Yap

    Chairman & President at Hotels and Restaurants Association of the Philippines

Tickets

Non-member

Non-members can participate at this given rate

Standard Price Complimentary
ECCP Member
Standard Price Complimentary