The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) and the Department of Tourism (DOT) jointly conducted the 2022 Philippine Tourism Satellite Accounts (PTSA) and Tourism Statistics Dissemination Forum on 05 July 2023 at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City. The event was participated by officials and representatives from various government agencies, regional tourism offices, tourism stakeholders, academe, and media. The forum served as a platform to present the contribution of tourism to the economy and the tourism statistics reports. It also served as a venue for stakeholders to appreciate the value and importance of tourism data and statistics.

_{^{DOT and PSA officials and staff posted for a photo during the 2022 PTSA and Tourism Statistics Dissemination Forum}}

Among the highlights of the event was the presentation of DOT on their data collection procedures and processing of information to generate  tourism statistics, including the results and ways forward for the improvement of their products and processes. Mr. Jose Dennis Javier of the Bureau of Immigration also presented an overview of the e-Travel System, which is an online single data collection platform integral in gathering tourism-related data, including ongoing initiatives and future plans for its improvement.

Ms. Sandra Carvao, Chief of the Tourism Market Intelligence and Competitiveness of  the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), delivered a recorded presentation on the latest global tourism trends and the results of the UNWTO Panel of Experts Survey conducted in May 2023.

Dr. Divina Gracia del Prado, Deputy National Statistician of the Sectoral Statistics Office of PSA, highlighted the current initiatives being undertaken by PSA and DOT, such as the compilation of Regional Tourism Satellite Accounts and Measuring the Sustainability of Tourism in the Philippines, and the development of an integrated information system for the collection of administrative-based tourism statistics. She also shared the conduct of surveys such as the Household Survey on Domestic Visitors and the Survey of Tourism Establishments in the Philippines by PSA to gather information for effective and efficient development and implementation of tourism plans and programs.  Meanwhile, Ms. Vivian Ilarina, Assistant National Statistician of the Macroeconomic Accounts Service of PSA presented the results of the 2022 PTSA, which highlights the contribution of tourism to the Philippine economy.

The event was graced by Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco who delivered the Keynote Message. She shared the programs of the current administration to ensure the recovery of the tourism industry and expressed her profound gratitude to the PSA and DOT for continuously collaborating to gather and compile tourism accounts and statistics.  She also thanked the partner government agencies, tourism stakeholders, and the media for their role and contribution in promoting the tourism industry.

CLAIRE DENNIS S. MAPA, PhD
Undersecretary
National Statistician and Civil Registrar General