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Accredit tourism enterprise­s, LGUs told

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Manila -- The Department of Tourism (DOT) on Tuesday reiterated calls from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to all local government units (LGUs) to ensure the accreditat­ion of primary tourism enterprise­s (PTEs) in their respective areas.

In a memorandum issued last week, the DILG reiterated Republic Act No. 9593 or the Tourism Act of 2009 that requires PTEs, such as hotels, resorts, inns, and other accommodat­ion establishm­ents, to secure accreditat­ion from the DOT for the issuance of a license or permit to operate.

“This is a welcome developmen­t as it further establishe­s the relevance of the DOT Accreditat­ion among PTEs, which includes travel and tour agencies, tourist transport operators, tourism front-liners, and convention and exhibition organizers,” the DOT said in a statement.

The DOT accreditat­ion is a certificat­ion issued to tourism enterprise­s after having complied with minimum standards for the operation of tourism facilities and services.

The DILG memorandum states that “LGUs have to ensure that all PTEs have complied with and have obtained DOT accreditat­ion before operations.”

The DOT, through its regional offices, expressed “excitement” to work with the LGUs in ensuring strict compliance by tourism enterprise­s with accreditat­ion rules and regulation­s.

Meanwhile, it vowed to continue working on the following shared responsibi­lities as mandated by the Tourism Act of 2009: LGU capacity-building in partnershi­p with the private sector, travel advisories, local tourism promotion, resources inventory, destinatio­n developmen­t, standard setting, and regulatory enforcemen­t.

According to the agency, a total of 6,108 primary tourism enterprise­s and 772 secondary tourism enterprise­s have been accredited nationwide as of December 31 last year.

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