MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Tourism (DOT) is advancing the Philippines’ global culinary identity with the official launch of two milestone initiatives: the Strategic Framework and Roadmap for Food and Gastronomy Tourism, and Market Tourism as a new tourism sub-product in the country.
Launched during the “Salo-Salo: Taste the Flavor, Experience the Culture” event on May 28, the twin initiatives are part of the DOT’s strategic push to position the Philippines as a top culinary tourism destination while uplifting community-based tourism by turning local markets into cultural hubs.
“We launched the Food and Gastronomy Tourism Roadmap and Market Tourism Product Development Program, not as slogans but as strategies—designed to deliver work, build pride, and position Filipino culinary culture where it belongs, at the center of national and regional development in the eyes of the world,” Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco said in her keynote address at the Food Wanderer x Lakbay Museo at the Ayala Malls Manila Bay.