The Philippines and Japan have signed a tourism cooperation agreement aimed at enhancing tourism development and attracting more Japanese tourists to the Philippines.

On November 3, the Philippines’ Department of Tourism (DOT) and Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism (MLITT) signed a memorandum of cooperation for tourism. This marks the first independent cooperation agreement between the two nations in the field of tourism.

Both the countries have agreed to strengthen their tourism ties by increasing tourist arrivals, promoting visits to various attractions and rural areas, encouraging high-value-added travelers, supporting the growth of their tourism industries in areas like education, culture, gastronomy, sustainable tourism, and adventure, exchanging information, and enhancing air and sea connectivity for mutual traffic, along with joint promotional programs.

This collaboration aims to boost tourism development and strengthen the relationship between the two countries.

A joint working group comprising senior officials from the Philippines’ Department of Tourism (DOT) and Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism (MLITT) will be responsible for defining the specific details of how the memorandum of cooperation will be put into action. This agreement is anticipated to have a five-year duration and may be subject to renewal, reflecting a commitment to a sustained and evolving partnership in the field of tourism.