The Department of Tourism extended its full support to the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) International Conference on Women in Travel, as the three-day conference successfully opened in Bohol, a captivating tourist destination.
During her keynote address at the event, Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco welcomed hundreds of speakers and delegates from the Philippines and around the world, including from Hong Kong SAR, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Expressing gratitude to PATA for partnering with the Philippines for the inaugural International Conference on Women in Travel, Secretary Frasco emphasized the conference’s timely focus on empowering Women in Travel.
“Holding this conference in the Philippines is timely, especially here where over 50 percent of the workforce of our country is composed of women, and here in our region in the Asia Pacific, where nearly 50 percent of the tourism industry is composed of women. We recognize the importance of this conference focusing on empowering women, tourism professionals, promoting gender equality, fostering leadership stories, successes, and opportunities,” Secretary Frasco said.” Frasco said.
PATA CEO Noor Ahmad Hamid commended the Philippines Department of Tourism for hosting the inaugural conference and its commitment to gender equality and development. He described the event as a pivotal moment in the industry, emphasizing the importance of addressing challenges faced by women in the travel and tourism sector.
“I would like to express my gratitude once again, to Your Excellency, Secretary of the Department of Tourism, for your leadership, your kindness, and for being with us today, and to each and every one of you for your dedication to this important cause that the PATA strongly believes. I can assure you that the PATA International Conference on Women in Travel will not be the first time, we will take this to the PATA [frontline event] and we will definitely continue to organize this event globally and for many years to come. And that is because we love the Philippines,” he added.
In her keynote remarks, Secretary Frasco shared her personal challenges as a woman leader and mother of four children, underscoring the need to support women in balancing work and caregiving responsibilities. She emphasized the DOT’s mission to prioritize the well-being of the tourism workforce and promote human dignity.
To support this mission, the DOT appointed Tourism Integrates, Supports, and Minds Women’s Rights and Child Safety (TourISM WoRCS) Officers across the regions to ensure a safe environment for women and children. Additionally, the DOT surpassed its target of training 100,000 workers on the Filipino Brand of Service Excellence (FBSE) program in 2023, with over half of the trained workforce being women.
Frasco further shared that in the DOT, women comprise an impressive 56 percent of the workforce. Notably, 62 percent of women hold official positions, and the majority of the Department’s Undersecretaries are women.
Pointing out critical challenges faced by the tourism sector globally, Secretary Frasco noted the importance of enhancing sex-disaggregated data in the industry.
Secretary Frasco highlighted the DOT’s efforts to promote gender sensitivity in tourism products and infrastructure projects, including the establishment of Tourist Rest Areas (TRAs) with amenities catering to women, such as breastfeeding stations.
Furthermore, the DOT is working to establish a comprehensive sex-disaggregated database to inform evidence-based policies and programs contributing to gender equality in the tourism sector.
Founded in 1951, PATA is a not-for-profit membership-based association that serves as a catalyst for the responsible development of travel and tourism in the Asia Pacific region.