Cebu’s very own and also the country’s tourism chief, Christina Garcia-Frasco, bagged two important posts in the United Nation’s World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
Garcia-Frasco was elected vice president of the 25th General Assembly of the UNWTO and chairman of the UNWTO’s Commission for East Asia and the Pacific during the 55th meeting of the UNWTO Regional Commission for East Asia and the Pacific held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on June 16.
The last time the Philippines held the position as vice president in the UNWTO was in 1999.
As the new chair of the commission, the country will preside over the meetings to tackle concerns within the region.
In line with this, the country will be hosting the joint meeting of the Commission for East Asia and the Pacific and the Commission for South Asia in Cebu next year.
“We welcome this opportunity to present our best to the world and for all the member-states and affiliates of the UNWTO,” Garcia-Frasco said as she underscored her election affirms the vision of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr for the country “to become a tourism powerhouse of Asia.”
In a Facebook post, Garcia-Frasco said this is an opportunity for the country “to be re-introduced” to UNWTO and member-countries “from the lens of the Filipino Story: a nation steeped in culture, heritage and tradition, driven by a young population that is modern with a talent for innovation and entrepreneurship, anchored by our love of country, our sense of family and community, our abiding faith, and our willingness to go the extra mile to treat everyone we meet, as we welcome them into our homes, with gracious hospitality, as we are blessed with an abundance of immensely beautiful natural resources across our 7, 641 islands”.
Meanwhile, at the sidelines of their UNWTO meeting in Cambodia, Garcia-Frasco disclosed in her Facebook account that she also had a bilateral meeting with Cambodia’s Minister of Tourism Dr. Thong Khon.
She said that they have agreed to renew the implementation program on the tourism cooperation between the two countries.
Garcia-Frasco also narrated that they have agreed on collaborations in heritage management and conservation, manpower development in English as Second Language (ESL) and improving connectivity.
“I am grateful for the gracious hospitality of the Kingdom of Cambodia to the Philippine delegation and look forward to the success of our joint efforts in improving tourism among our countries,” Garcia-Frasco said. ##