MANILA – The Department of Tourism yesterday hurdled panel deliberations at the House of Representatives for its proposed P2.6 billion budget for 2013.

The amount nears an almost two-fold (91 percent) increase from the P1.36 billion DOT appropriations for 2012.

DOT Sec. Ramon Jimenez Jr. said the huge increase in the department’s budget is needed to jumpstart the development of highly competitive but environmentally and socially responsible tourism that promotes inclusive growth through the National Tourism Development Plan.

“With the NTDP - which runs from 2011 to 2012 - in place, the tourism industry anticipates a sustained robust growth. Next year’s budget would be utilized to attain next year’s tourism targets,” Jimenez said.

For its 2013 targets, the DOT aims to attract 5.54 million international arrivals and 31.5 million domestic travelers that will generate about P728 billion in revenues and provide 500,000 new tourism employments.

Jimenez said the international tourist arrival target for 2013, which is 500,000 higher than this year’s target of 4.6 million, is still within the NTDP target of 10 million inbound travelers by 2016.*PNA

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