PH, UK seek boost in cooperation on arts, language, sustainability projects
United Kingdom Ambassador to the Philippines Laure Beaufils. From DMW Facebook page
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines and the United Kingdom are looking for ways to boost and formalize cooperation on projects concerning arts, sustainability and English as a second language (ESL).
The Department of Tourism (DOT) said Friday that this was among the things discussed by Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco when UK ambassador to the Philippines H.E. Laure Beaufils paid a courtesy visit on the DOT official in Makati City on Thursday.
The department, said Frasco, is seeking to attract more visitors from the UK and “aggressively tap opportunity markets in Europe.”
“We are aggressively approaching airline partners both local and international on this matter. Opening more routes will not only help our overseas Filipino workers but also usher in tourists from the UK and Europe. Our objective is to open up the Philippines to that side of the world as we know that we have tourism products that are very attractive to Europeans,” Frasco said in a statement.
She had likewise pushed for both countries to explore joint promotions, ESL training and the use of public spaces for cultural exchange and education.
Frasco also discussed ways for the Philippines to draw more tourism-related investments from the UK, which Beaufils committed to exploring.
“The country is prone to environmental and climate devastation. We are putting the groundwork into transforming areas of municipalities and cities to be resilient, as well as investing in infrastructure that is designed to protect [our environment],” Frasco said.
The DOT chief then thanked the UK, through its envoy, for helping the Philippines in tourism security training and for expressing optimism in the bid to reopen Mindanao for all tourists. – Kimberly D. Albaño, INQUIRER.net intern
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