Philippine Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco warmly welcomed Dr. Karen Remo, CEO and Founder of New Perspective Media (NPM) Group, at the Department of Tourism (DOT) headquarters in Makati on June 5, 2023.
During their meeting, both parties engaged in a discussion on the diverse range of tourism opportunities that the Philippines can promote in the Middle East, encompassing areas such as medical tourism, halal travel, diving, arts, and culture.
Sec. Frasco thanked Dr. Remo for the invaluable insights she shared during the meeting, acknowledging their potential to aid the department in positioning the Philippines as a global travel destination and capturing the lucrative Middle East outbound travel & tourism market.
She highlighted that the Philippines has been hailed as the top diving destination in the world by many organizations.
The country, home to UNESCO World Heritage Site Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, won the “Best Dive Destination” during the Diving, Resort and Travel Show in Malaysia last Feb. 24 to 26, the “World’s Leading Dive Destination” during last year’s World Travel Awards, as well as “Asia’s Leading Dive Destination” from the same group from 2019 to 2022.
Meanwhile, Dr. Remo congratulated DOT for the well-deserved recognition of the Philippines as the Emerging Muslim-friendly Destination of the Year at the esteemed Halal in Travel Global Summit 2023, held in Singapore on June 1.
She also updated the tourism secretary on NPM’s forthcoming initiatives in the UAE, including the 10th annual Philippine Property and Investment Exhibition (PPIE) as well as the upcoming 2nd Philippine Economic and Investment Summit (PEIS), both slated to take place on May 11-12, 2024 in Dubai.
The twin events will feature ‘Philippine International Travel Fair’, in a bid to promote localities and destinations primed for tourism and investment, and make the travel aspirations of the 192 nationalities in the UAE come true.
Dr. Remo — who is also the publisher of The Filipino Times, the largest news media for Overseas Filipinos globally — emphasized that Overseas Filipinos serve as the most effective ambassadors of the Philippines to the rest of the world, as their highly regarded professionalism and friendliness create a profound impact on fostering positive perception about the country.
Since December 2023, the DOT has been incentivizing overseas Filipinos to invite tourists to explore the Philippines through the “Bisita Be My Guest” (BBMG) program. These incentives include travel discounts and a chance to win a condominium and complimentary vacation trips.
The meeting was also attended by DOT Undersecretary Shereen Gail Yu-Pamintuan, DOT Undersecretary Ferdinand ‘Cocoy’ Jumapao and NPM Group Editorial Director Mark Nituma.
