Frasco: Tourist assistance call center will cater requests for info, aid from local, foreign tourists

A HOTLINE that would provide “full service” for tourists, both local and foreign, needing information and to raise other travel concerns while exploring the Philippines is expected to be launched before the year ends, Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco revealed on Friday.

This she said during the launch of the Travel Tour Expo 2023.

In her speech, Frasco said, “This year, we are launching a tourist assistance call center that will cater to any and all requests for information and assistance. We fully intend for this tourist assistance call center to be multilingual so as to be able to correspond to the needs of international tourists as well.”

Philippine Travel Agencies Association president Michelle Taylan welcomed the initiative with the expected influx of tourists as the Philippines reopens its borders and relaxes travel restrictions to foreign tourists.

“It’s a really good initiative. It’s also good to lessen some scammers and also so that it would be easier for us to help our tourists, especially the foreigners,” she said in an interview.

Thailand and South Korea are already using a similar mechanism where travelers could easily contact their tourism authorities in case of travel-related emergencies or simply for recommendations of top tourist attractions. The travel hotlines in both countries run 24/7.

The Department of Tourism will also come up with a “super app,” the Tourist Lifecycle App, which Frasco said would connect tourists to accredited tourism establishments, rides, restaurants, tour operators and tour guides. The app will also feature an e-commerce platform that showcases Filipino products.

Meanwhile, Frasco clarified that the Bisita Be My (BBM) Guest Program is not the new tourism slogan but a guest incentive system for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

“This is not the new tourism slogan of the Philippines as some have misrepresented. Rather, this is a guest incentive program intended to invite and benefit OFWs that bring home a relative or a friend to the Philippines with raffle prizes, discounts, and privileges for them as they tour around the country,” Frasco said.

The slogan “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” is currently under review.

Frasco earlier said the slogan is being reviewed “in the hopes that it may positively evolve, as we all have, after everything we’ve been through,” adding that she wanted the new slogan to reflect the “strength and the richness of our identity as a Filipino brand.”

By bringing guests into the Philippines, OFWs participating in the guest incentive program will qualify for raffles and a privilege card that they can use for discounts in accredited establishments across the country.