Team Out of Town Blog Hub (Outoftownblog.com) – The Department of Tourism (DOT) announced Monday (October 17) the relaunching of the Philippine Tourism Awards (PTA) to incentivize tourism development in the country and encourage Local Government Units to adopt tourism as a means of economic development.
Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco announced during the Philippine Tourism Convergence Reception at the SMX Convention Center attended by President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., Vice President Sara Z. Duterte, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and representatives from the tourism industry.
The PTA, according to Frasco, aims to develop tourism consciousness in the country by seeking to recognize local tourism enterprises, local government units, and individuals in the industry who have excelled in management performance and tourism service. The Awards will be held in collaboration with the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB).
“With all of you here tonight, we wish to announce the relaunching of the Philippines Tourism Awards and the Tourism Promotions Board. The PTA aims to recognize tourism-related establishments and individuals whose seasoned expertise and commitment have innovatively and creatively projected the Filipino culture and brand,” said Secretary Frasco.
The Philippine Tourism Awards will have 5 major categories: Institutional, Creative, Individual, Destination of the year, and Special awards. Each will have a corresponding sub-category.
The Institutional Awards will be given to those entities considered the best in their respective areas regarding expertise, professionalism, and quality of facilities and services. This will include Hotels, Resorts, Restaurants, Tour Operators, Events, Tourism Councils, Foreign Travel Agents, and Foreign Airlines.
Creative Awards will be in recognition of the professional skills and insights of individuals and entities in their marketing, advertising, and promotions efforts taking into account the creativity, imagination, ingenuity, and factual presentation of information, organization, implementation, and effectiveness of the program/project in terms of achieving client satisfaction.
Individual Awards are meant for those directly or indirectly engaged in the industry who live up to the high standard of service and customer/client satisfaction.
The Destination of the Year Award will be in recognition of a particular tourism destination’s contribution to the development and promotion of the tourism industry through the cooperative efforts exhibited by both private and local government sectors.
The Special Awards, on the other hand, will be presented to an individual or a private organization who/that has promoted the interests of the tourism industry and whose contribution has had a significant positive impact on tourism in the Philippines. This would likewise include Lifetime Achievement Awards to honor individuals for his/her noteworthy career as tourism practitioner either in the government or private sector and who has had an outstanding contribution to the development and promotion of the Philippine tourism industry.
“Through the Philippine Tourism Awards, we will also identify the best practices of local government units across the country, including provinces, cities, and municipalities, to further encourage LGUs to adopt tourism to stimulate the local economy and herald our distinct culture and heritage. We also hope to motivate our tourism stakeholders to elevate and maintain high standards of tourism services that we offer our guests,” added Secretary Frasco.
The PTA ushers the revitalization of the tourism industry as the country looks forward to more relaxed travel and health restrictions in the near future.
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