Israel and the Philippines strengthen tourism ties

Tel Aviv [Israel], December 4 (ANI/TPS): As part of a working visit by Israel's Minister of Tourism Haim Katz to Manila, and as part of the ministry's activities to increase tourism traffic from the Philippines, Tuesday morning a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Ministers of Tourism of the two nations to "strengthen the ties and cooperation of the countries in international organizations, in the areas of marketing, aviation, innovation and digitization.'
Minister Haim Katz is also expected, among other things, to speak at the annual conference of the local travel agents association, to hold meetings with journalists, opinion leaders, church leaders and the president of the Philippine Airlines (PAL).
The Philippines ranks fifth in terms of tourist arrivals in 2024, with approximately 40,000 citizens who came to visit Israel, mainly for religious reasons. The Ministry of Tourism, through the local bureau in Manila, conducts a diverse marketing activity including road fairs, seminars for agents and collaborations with influencers and media. The Christian jubilee year in 2025 (jubilee) marks a unique opportunity to attract the Christian audience to Israel, where the bill of forgiveness can be received by the Pope's announcement, and it will be at the center of activity in the Philippines in the coming year.
Between Israel and the Philippines, there is a tourism agreement from 1987, the memorandum of understanding is the basis for a new agreement that will be signed soon and will expand the areas of joint activity.
Minister Katz: "When I took office, I noticed increased traffic from the Philippines, and this proved to be stable even during the war. This is a key country in Asia, the local residents see Israel as a destination that must be visited and we intend to concentrate special efforts to further develop and strengthen the tourist ties between the countries." (ANI/TPS)