Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo to explain Boracay rehab in Argentina

MANILA, Philippines — Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo is set to present the rehabilitation plan for Boracay to world tourism leaders this week in Argentina.

Department of Tourism (DOT) Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Frederick Alegre told The STAR that Teo was set to fly to Buenos Aires yesterday for the 2018 Global Summit of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC).

The 18th WTTC Global Summit slated on April 18 to 19 will bring together world leaders in the industry. This year’s summit features the theme “Our People, Our World, Our Future.”

“The Global Summit will ask the tough questions facing travel and tourism today, explore what this means for the future, and demonstrate the sector’s role in our fast evolving and ever more unpredictable world,” the WTTC said on its website.

Alegre said Teo was originally supposed to talk about Philippine destinations in her presentation, but was later requested to focus on the rehabilitation of Boracay.

Teo is scheduled to speak at a session titled “Putting communities at the center of tourism development.”

Joining Teo in the session are Nikolina Angelkova, minister of tourism of Bulgaria; Fred Dixon, president and CEO of NYC & Co.; Katie Fallon, global head of corporate affairs of Hilton; and Gonzalo Robredo, president of the Tourism Entity of the City of Buenos Aires.

Alegre said discussing the rehabilitation of Boracay allows the Philippines to promote itself as a destination that is environmentally compliant.

“It’s important that Boracay is not only known as a beach destination, but also for its warm hospitable people and most of all that we are environmentally compliant,” he added.

President Duterte earlier ordered the closure of Boracay on April 26, following the recommendation of the interagency taskforce composed of the DOT, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

Teo earlier said the DOT is aiming to shorten the clean-up operations in Boracay to four months instead of six months.

“I think we can do it in four months if the people in Boracay cooperate with us,” she said.