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DOT bats for inclusive tourism to tap LGBT community

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Lady Vicencio, ABS-CBN News

MANILA -- The Department of Tourism said it is promoting inclusivity to tap the LGBT community.During the first Tourism Pride Summit, Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco said she sees the economic value brought by the community as an opportunity for Philippine tourism to grow alongside its neighboring countries.In 2018, the United Nations World Tourism Organization reported that there were 36 million travelers globally who were part of the LGBT community.“It is a $200 billion industry that’s only slated to grow to half a trillion dollars by 2030. Nais po natin na maging inclusive sa ating turismo kaya binibigyan natin ng honor at recognition ‘yong ating members ng ating LGBTQIA+ community,” Frasco said. (We wish to be inclusive in our tourism, that&#x27;s why we want to honor and recognize the members of the LGBTQIA+ community.)“Nakita po natin na marami nang bansa all over the world that capitalized on LGBTQIA+ tourism,” Frasco added. (We&#x27;ve seen that a lot of countries all over the world have capitalized on LGBTQIA+ tourism.)DOT will put up government interventions such as platforms for inclusivity and incorporating inclusive curricula in hospitality education. Among these efforts is the launching of the first Tourism Pride Summit, which tackled discussions on challenges faced by the LGBT community not only in tourism but also in the workplace.Philippine Financial Inter-Industry Pride Vice Chair Ronil Villacorta stressed on the importance of LGBT workers in the tourism industry who still face challenges in their workplace. “They still have fear of being their authentic selves in the workplace. Many are compelled to hide their sexual preferences. It is essential for us - colleagues, employees, leader, bosses, friends - to foster an environment where everyone feels empowered to embrace their true selves without fear of judgment and negative consequences,” Villacorta said. Meanwhile, Frasco said the country had already reached 82.77 percent of the 4.8 million target for the year, hitting 3,973,630 million foreign tourist arrivals as of September 27.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/05/14/23/philippines-reaches-2-million-international-arrivals-dot">Philippines records 2 million international arrivals from January to May 2023: DOT</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/01/19/23/ph-targets-nearly-5-million-foreign-tourists-in-2023">Philippines targets nearly 5 million foreign tourists this year</a></li></ul>From January to August, the DOT said the estimated revenue generated from foreign tourist expenditures is at P316.9 billion.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/09/28/23/emirates-bullish-on-philippine-tourism-sector">Emirates bullish on Philippine tourism sector</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/09/19/23/airasia-boss-bullish-about-ph-tourism-despite-inflation">AirAsia boss says bullish about Philippine tourism despite inflation</a></li></ul>

DOT bats for inclusive tourism to tap LGBT community

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DOT bats for inclusive tourism to tap LGBT community

Lady Vicencio,

ABS-CBN News

Published September 28, 2023 05:16 PM PHT

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Updated September 28, 2023 07:45 PM PHT

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Department of Tourism

Tourism

LGBT community

LGBT

lesbian

gay

bisexual

transgender

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