QUEZON CITY, (PIA) --Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco officially announced the launch of Bisita, Be My Guest (BBMG) in the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall on Thursday. 

The one-year campaign is seen to boost the tourism industry to pre-pandemic levels, as President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. eased travel restrictions to and around the country. 

In a statement, Frasco said the DOT conducted an internal study about the motivations of travelers coming into the Philippines.

She said that out of 260,000 respondents, 44 percent said that their primary motivation to travel was to visit family and friends, and 43 percent said they traveled for vacation and leisure.

The BBMG is an offshoot of the said study and hopes it will propel the number of visitors in the country.

"We envision BBMG as the Filipinos’ way of showing love for the country as we invite visitors to our homes, show them the beauty of our landscapes and beaches, our culture and heritage, and let them experience world-class Filipino hospitality," Frasco said. 

"It inspires ordinary Filipinos to become shepherds who tend and herd visitors to come to the country and in effect empower our industries to rise above challenges and recover from the devastating effects of the pandemic,” the tourism chief said. (dot/pia-ncr)