Raising the Philippines’ tourism profile on the world stage

THANKS to the hard work of Department of Tourism (DoT) Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat, and with a little luck, the Philippines may very well be the host country for two of the world’s most important tourism conferences in time for the 500th anniversary of Magellan’s landing in Cebu.

Under Puyat’s direction, the DoT has bid to host the annual World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) Global Summit and the biannual United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) General Assembly, both in 2021. The date is auspicious, because it marks the quincentennial of Magellan’s arrival in the Philippines, which was part of the first known voyage around the world.