The Department of Tourism (DOT) is eyeing to court investors in Japan, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and other countries to look into opportunities in the Philippines’ tourism industry, Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said on Tuesday.

Speaking on the sidelines of the 2025 post-State of the Nation Address (SONA) conference in San Juan City, Frasco said the government wants to attract both international and domestic investments through the passage of the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises to Maximize Opportunities for Reinvigorating the Economy (CREATE MORE) law.

“Patuloy ang ating partnerships and bilateral relations with countries from all over the world (Our partnership with countries from all over the world is continuous), inviting them to invest in various sectors that include accommodation, marine transport, amusement and recreation, as well as, facilities that will further increase the competitiveness of the country,” she said.

These partner countries, she said, include Japan, the UAE, Thailand, and the United States.

Frasco noted the improved climate for tourism investments in the Philippines, especially with the classification of its attached agency, the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), as an “investment promotion agency.”

“As such, it is able to provide incentives to those who provide investments that are tourism-related anywhere in the country,” she said.

On the DOT’s end, Frasco said the department continues to invest in both popular and emerging destinations in the country, with plans to construct more tourist rest stops in other provinces.

She also conveyed hopes for increased tourism infrastructure funding from the 20th Congress.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. delivered his 4th SONA on Monday and classified tourism as an important sector in his administration’s objective to provide Filipinos with better employment opportunities. (PNA)