PANGAO, Bohol (PIA) -- The role of women in the tourism sector were recognized during this years’ Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) International Conference on Women in Travel.

Organized by the Department of Tourism (DOT), the three-day conference held on March 20-22 in Panglao island featured industry leaders who tackled the crucial role of women and the current state of gender diversity in the tourism industry.

Tourism Secretary Cristina Garcia Frasco recognized the role of women in the sector, including the department’s key women leaders and tourism workers who are at the forefront of ushering a new era in tourism.

“Tourism is not only a tool for economic prosperity but also a force for promoting human dignity,” said Frasco.

She thanked the investors for the ongoing developments in the tourism sector, as shown by its 100.08 percent recovery rate for the country’s international tourism revenues that amounted to P482.54 billion in international visitor receipts in 2023.

According to PATA chief executive officer Noor Ahmad Hamid, the association strives to be a catalyst for responsible development in tourism within the Asia Pacific Region through the inaugural women in travel conference.

This, he said, is in recognition of the contributions of and challenges that women face in the industry.

“Tourism should be a force for good,” Hamid said as he reaffirmed PATA’s commitment to advancing the role of women in the tourism industry.

According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization, in 2022, female employees accounted for 49.4 percent in the tourism workforce in the Asia Pacific region, compared to 40.2 percent in the broader economy.

DOT’s commitment to gender equality promotion

Frasco shared that the DOT, for the first time, has appointed Tourism Integrates, Supports, and Minds Women’s Rights and Child Safety (TourISM WoRCS) officers in the regions to ensure that the Philippines “remains a woman- and child-safe destination.”

The manual will be rolled out among the department’s various operational units to equip them with the knowledge and tools to effectively combat sexual harassment, trafficking, and gender-based violence within the sector.

Frasco also shared DOT’s accomplishment in its target of training 100,000 workers on the Filipino Brand of Service Excellence (FBSE) program in 2023.

DOT surpassed this goal with 127,125 workers trained on the FBSE last year.

Of the total, 70,208 or 55.2 percent of the trained workforce are women.

DOT has also made significant strides in advancing equality in the Philippine tourism industry by ensuring that tourism products and infrastructure projects prioritize gender-sensitivity.

This is manifested in the department’s establishment of Tourist Rest Areas (TRAs) across the country to enhance the overall tourist experience, with each of the TRA complete with breastfeeding stations dedicated for lactating mothers.

To support employees of the DOT, especially working mothers, the department inaugurated a Child-Minding Center in its central office.

“Here, you’ll see employees and be assured that their children are entrusted to a safe and nurturing environment, free-of-charge, with licensed daycare teachers, while they are at work,” said Frasco.

She shared that in DOT, women comprise 56 percent of its workforce.

Notably, 62 percent of women hold official positions, and the majority of the department’s undersecretaries are women.

DOT is working towards establishing a comprehensive sex-disaggregated database that will serve as a cornerstone for developing evidence-based policies and programs contributing to gender equality.

This will help the department in monitoring progress towards its gender equality objectives, and tracking disparities in access, participation, and outcomes between men and women.

“By harnessing the power of data, we will be able to identify areas where gender imbalances persist and use this information to inform our policy and decision-making especially as we endeavor to provide more tourism opportunities for our destinations all over the country,” Frasco explained.

The conference featured discussions on various obstacles to women's leadership and gender equality in the tourism sector, and the Asian Development Bank's presentation on initiatives that elevated the skills and welfare of women in Asia Pacific destinations, including Lao PDR, Vietnam and Fiji.

Speakers were from San Travel Services & Business Consultant, Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria, Intrepid Travel, DEAFinite Tour Guiding Services, and Asian Development Bank. (ECB/PIA7-Bohol)