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| (Image Source: FlingerosPhilippines.com/Tourism Promotions Board Philippines) |
Looking to expand and bring more opportunities to its membership program, the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) launched its enhanced TPB Membership Program at Luxent Hotel in Diliman, Quezon City last March 12, 2024. Under Republic Act No. 9593, otherwise known as the Tourism Act of 2009, the Tourism Promotions Board shall be open for membership to entities, groups, and individuals with economic, social, or cultural interests in the travel trade, congresses, and conventions. The year 2023 ended with TPB having a total of 859 members from all over the country.
“In my short time with TPB, I’ve seen that you are truly the core of our tourism industry. There’s so much potential for us to transform the Philippines into a global tourism leader, and this vision is only achievable through our collective effort,” said TPB Chief Operating Officer Maria Margarita Nograles addressing the stakeholders at the event. To strengthen the partnership between the agency and its members, TPB’s work plan for the year is to enhance its membership program. This will enable the members to prosper in the digital age as they can learn how to leverage market intelligence through a series of modules. Another benefit of the enhanced program is the inclusion of members in the Travel Philippines app. Members will be featured in the app’s directory and the destinations tab, making it easier for aspiring travelers to reach them for their dream vacation in the country. The app also allows members to advertise their promos to tap into a wider audience now that the number of users of the Travel Philippines app is steadily increasing.
Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco gave a keynote address at the event to show her support for TPB’s Enhanced Membership Program. She emphasized that the enhanced program and the inclusion of TPB members in the Travel Philippines app is a significant milestone for the tourism industry as it increases the connection between tourists and local tourism enterprises. “The app gives new markets and existing markets access to information about TPB members. In other words, wherever you may be in the world, you can simply open your phone and access information that directly links tourists to your companies,” stated Secretary Frasco. Also in attendance were Undersecretary Shahlimar Hofer Tamano, Undersecretary Ferdinand Jumapao, Assistant Secretary Rica Bueno, and Assistant Secretary Verna Buensuceso. Civil Service Commission (CSC) Chairperson Karlo Nograles, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Undersecretary Cristina Roque, Department of Transportation (DOTr) Undersecretary Roberto Lim, and Director Eduardo Pelaez also graced the event to show their support. Meanwhile, around 350 representatives from various tourism enterprises attended the launch.
The members’ inclusion in the Travel Philippines app and the special access to market intelligence are just two of the many benefits that enterprises can enjoy from TPB’s Enhanced Membership Program. TPB also offers networking and capacity-building, access to information and promotional materials, assistance for brand enhancement, and business opportunities for its program members.
