• According to the Philippine National Tourism Development Plan 2011-2016, DOT wanted the Philippines to be a must-experience destination in Asia. With that strategic vision, they established a general goal which is to develop an environmentally and socially responsible tourism that delivers more widely distributed income and employment opportunities as indicated by 6.6 M international arrivals and 34.8 M domestic travellers generating PhP1,759 billion in total expenditure, contributing 6.78% to GDP and employing 6.5 million people by 2016. With that being said they created objectives to achieve the goal which is to improve market access and connectivity by rapidly expanding capacity of secondary international airports, expanding connectivity between Philippines and its key growth markets and implementing a strategic access infrastructure program between secondary international airports and strategic destinations. Developing and marketing competitive tourist destinations and products by implementing a sustainable tourism destination infrastructure program, developing diversified tourism products that engage local communities, implementing a PPP-based mandatory tourism enterprise accreditation system and facilitate tourism investment and lower cost of business safeguarding natural & cultural heritage and vulnerable groups PPP-based marketing strategy and action plan. Lastly, improving tourism institutional, governance and human resource capacities by institutionalizing roles and responsibilities of DOT and LGUs, developing a competent well motivated and productive tourism workforce and improving governance in the area of safety, security, and in dealing with tourists. (http://asiapacific.unwto.org/sites/all/files/pdf/philippines_5.pdf)
• As of January 2013, DOT Secretary Ramon Jimenez, have missed the target of 5 million tourist arrivals by less than 300,000 (4.6 Million), and is eyeing the 5