Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco. PHOTO BY J. GERARD SEGUIA
By Moises Cruz, Manila Times
THE Department of Tourism (DoT) relaunched the Philippine Tourism Awards (PTA) to promote the growth of tourism in the country and to encourage local government units to use tourism as a tool for economic development.
"The PTA aims to recognize tourism-related establishments and individuals whose seasoned expertise and commitment have innovatively and creatively projected the Filipino culture and the Filipino brand," Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco said.
The five main categories for the Philippine Tourism Awards are Institutional, Creative, Individual, Destination of the Year, and Special Awards.
Every category will have a matching subcategory.
The institutions that are deemed to be the greatest in their fields in knowledge, professionalism, and the caliber of their facilities and services will get Institutional Awards.
The purpose of the Creative Awards is to recognize the expertise and insights of people and organizations in their marketing, advertising and promotion activities while taking into account the originality and factual presentation of information.
Individual Awards are given to people working in the industry directly or indirectly who uphold high standards of customer and client satisfaction.
The Destination of the Year Award will be given to a specific travel destination in recognition of its commitment to the growth and marketing of the tourism sector via the collaborative efforts of the business and local government sectors.
The Special Awards, on the other hand, will be presented to an individual or a private entity that has advanced the interests of the tourism sector and whose contribution has improved travel in the Philippines.
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"Through the Philippine Tourism Awards, we will also be identifying the best practices of local government units, to further encourage them to adopt tourism as a means to stimulate the local economy and herald our distinct culture and heritage," Garcia-Frasco said.
The PTA marks the beginning of the tourism sector's resurgence as the country anticipates fewer travel and health regulations in the near future.