Building compliance into your business

buy from people, and they want to buy from people with a similar value system. This takes compliance beyond rules and regulations, incorporating ethics into business processes rather than imposing a rulebook, which may or may not be read.

Transformational change

I n a speech at the general membership meeting of the Philippine IATA Agents Travel Association (PIATA) on Wednesday, February 15, at the Dusit Thani Hotel, Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista said, “ Improving and modernizing the country ’s trans- s s transportation system will be crucial to ensure tourists enjoy their travel and vacation experience.”

He added cited several projects aimed at attracting more international travelers and enhancing domestic tourism, such as the newly-opened passenger terminal at the Clark International Airport in Pampanga, the construction of the New Manila International Airport in Bulacan and Sangley Point International Airport in Cavite, and the improvements of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and Bicol International Airport. R ailway projects will also improve connectivity between tourism destinations in the northern and southern parts of the country, and thereby easing the traffic congestion issues in Metro Manila, he said. Construction is in full swing for projects like the North-South

Commuter Railway, Metro Manila Subway, Metro Rail Transit (MRT)Light Rail Transit (LRT) Common Station, MRT 7, LRT 1 Cavite Extension, Philippine National Railways’ (PNR) North and South Long-Haul Project, Subic-Clark Railway, and the Mindanao Railway.

Close ties with DOT

BAUTISTA underscored the close cooperation between the DOTr and the Department of Tourism (DOT) “towards boosting tourist arrivals.” This year, the DOT is targeting to increase foreign visitor arrivals to 4.8 million, from 2.65 million in 2022.

He added the DOTr is also improving the services of the Edsa Busway system to ease the mobility of commuters.

A lso, the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) is improving commercial and social-tourism ports to efficiently move passengers and goods, while lowering logistics costs and shipping fees. The PPA is an attached agency of DOTr.

T he PIATA has 110 member-outbound travel agencies, all of who are accredited by the International Air

Transport Association (IATA), an organization that oversees the development and implementation of global commercial aviation standards.

Mactan wins at Routes Asia 2023 MEANWHILE , the DOT has won the Destination category at the at the recent Routes Asia 2023 awards in Chiang Mai. The agency was cited for its “persistent efforts to partner with airports and airlines to reinstate discontinued routes and secure new air services. It has done this through marketing efforts locally and globally, regional travel exchanges and businessto-business meetings, joint campaigns, international roadshows, and familiarization tours for agents and media.” They bested the Japan National Tourism Organization, the Ministry of Tourism Indonesia, and the Singapore Tourism Board.

T he Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) was also named winner in the under 5 million passenger category, citing MCIA operator, GMR Megawide Cebu Airport Corp., for having “always taken a two-pronged approach to route development: airline marketing to create supply and destination marketing to ensure the sustainability of its airline partners’ presence and address the demand for air services.”

T he Official Airline Guide projects 16.1 million international air seats to the Philippines by year-end, just 21 percent less than the 20.5 million registered seats in 2019.

Routes Asia is a major event gathering the region’s airlines, airports, tourism authorities, and aviation stakeholders to help develop strategies and ensure future air service development across the region.