Press Release
January 28, 2009

Gordon to address delegates of tourism confab in Baguio

Independent Senator Richard J. Gordon will speak of the country's tourism industry amidst the global financial crisis before students and academicians who will be present at the 2009 Tourism and Hospitality Convention in Baguio City on Friday.

Gordon was invited to be the guest of honor and speaker at the convention where university students, academicians, tourism officials and practitioners in tourism, hospitality and other related fields from Northern and Central Luzon and Metro Manila are expected to attend.

The convention aims to provide a venue for discussion of issues faced by the tourism industry amidst the challenges of a global financial crisis.

"This convention is indeed timely especially that the country should prepare to face the effects of the global crisis. Boosting our tourism and hospitality industry is a must. We have to take advantage of the many opportunities we could gain in tourism," Gordon said.

The organizer of the tourism convention invited Gordon to share with the audience his expertise and experiences in the tourism industry being the chairman of the Senate tourism committee and a former tourism secretary.

Gordon authored the Senate version of the Tourism Act of 2008 which is now at its penultimate stage as differences in the Senate and House versions of the measure are reconciled in a final series of bicameral meetings.

The Tourism Bill proposes to reorganize the Department of Tourism (DOT) and its agencies in order to make it better equipped to undertake a consistent and more effective tourism development and promotions plan.

During his stint as DOT secretary, Gordon introduced "Wow Philippines!", which lured foreign and local tourists, generated jobs among the people, and increased revenues at a time when the country was faced with problems, such as the Abu Sayyaf kidnappings and the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) disease.

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