Reflecting the high-level support giv­en to tourism and to UN Tourism’s mission to guide the sector forward, Commission host the Philippines was represented by President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr, at the meeting.

In his opening remarks, President Marcos commended UN Tourism’s fo­cus on education and training for the sector and stressed his commitment to wider sustainability efforts.

“Education is always going to make any industry better and certain­ly tourism is no different,” President Marcos said.

“We need to raise the standards and practices in this crucial sector by investing in education, training, and skills upgrading of all the personnel who are working in this industry.”

Emphasising his Government’s recognition of the importance of ed­ucation, President Ferdinand Marcos expressed interest in opening a new Academy in Collaboration with UN Tourism in the Philippines.

The institution would add to UN Tourism’s growing network of Acad­emies, with education centres focus­ing on the specific needs of regions or on key skills needed for the future of tourism.

Resilience Via Green Transfor­mation

Within the framework of the joint Commission meeting, Member States in the region tabled a thematic discus­sion on product development empha­sizing the need for green transforma­tion to enhance the tourism sector’s competitiveness, while bolstering its resilience through the promotion of innovative and green solutions.