Department of Tourism and Mastercard announce strategic collaboration to drive tourism growth in the Philippines
June 19, 2025 | Manila, Philippines
The Department of Tourism (DOT) and Mastercard today announced a strategic collaboration aimed at driving sustainable tourism growth and enhancing the Philippines’ position as a premier global travel destination. The collaboration will focus on elevating leisure tourism, leveraging data and analytics on tourism trends to strengthen destination marketing campaigns, promoting digital payments across tourist corridors and supporting the continued growth of the tourism sector.
In 2024, the Philippines recorded PHP760.50 billion in inbound tourism revenue, marking a 9.04% increase from 2023. This milestone surpasses pre-pandemic levels[1] and reaffirms the sector’s vital role in the national economy, which is expected to contribute 21% to the country's GDP this year, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC)[2]. Building on this momentum, the DOT and Mastercard will work together to boost the country’s competitiveness as a fast-emerging travel destination. These efforts aim to attract international and domestic travelers, as well as returning Filipinos, while showcasing the Philippines’ rich cultural heritage and natural beauty.
As part of the collaboration, the DOT will share insights from its tourism data and lead joint destination marketing initiatives. Mastercard will support tourism objectives by providing strategic insights to help curate promotional campaigns. Together, the DOT and Mastercard aim to achieve the following:
1. Harness data, insights and analytics to enrich tourism. The DOT and Mastercard aim to improve the digital experience for tourists and support local businesses by analyzing traveler spending patterns, needs, and preferences across popular tourist corridors. Powered by Mastercard's proprietary marketing and data insights platforms, the global payments technology company will also provide strategic insights on inbound tourist segments, contextualize macro trends across relevant sectors (e.g., airlines, lodging, retail), and identify shifts in consumer demands and preferences. The information gathered will help tailor campaigns to resonate better, encouraging visits from tourists along target travel corridors and promoting greater adoption and use of digital payments.
2. Develop world-class marketing campaigns. The DOT and Mastercard will co-create promotional campaigns showcasing various locations in the Philippines, ultimately benefiting travelers, tourism authorities, local businesses, and the economy. The campaigns aim to boost the travel sector, including small businesses, by drawing more visitors and encouraging them to extend their time discovering the many islands and rich cultural heritage of the Philippines.
3. Curate exclusive Priceless Experiences and Specials for travelers. Building on Mastercard’s signature Priceless program – launched in the Philippines in November 2024 – the collaboration will include the curation of exceptional offers and experiences to attract tourists, elevate their travel experiences, and drive tourism spend. Priceless highlights unforgettable experiences for Mastercard cardholders, featuring destinations and local businesses that showcase the best of the Philippines.
Christina Garcia Frasco, Secretary of the Department of Tourism, expressed excitement about the potential long-term impact of this collaboration. “This vote of confidence by Mastercard in the Philippines means so much, because it is an affirmation that the decision that we have taken to do the hard work to confront the challenges that the Philippines faces in terms of global tourism competitiveness is gaining ground, and it is gaining global attention in terms of the message that we wish to convey: that the Philippines is not simply a destination to have fun with—it is a destination to love, that provides deeper experiences, encourages longer stays and, of course, encourages more spending by our tourists.”
Safdar Khan, Division President, Southeast Asia, Mastercard, added: “Tourism is a vital economic pillar across Southeast Asia, as reflected in the growing travel demand across the region. Mastercard is honored to collaborate with the Department of Tourism in elevating leisure tourism, promoting digital payments across tourist corridors, expanding economic opportunities for local businesses and highlighting the unique charm of the Philippines to travelers. This collaboration reinforces Mastercard’s commitment to enriching the country’s appeal as a go-to travel destination.”
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