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business/news//The Manila Times
The collaboration is part of a three-year Strategic Collaboration Agreement.
DOT and Mastercard merchant-driven activations have generated over P6.3 million in sales to date.
KEY POINTS
DOT is using Mastercard's SpendingPulse analytics to identify new visitor markets in real time.
Tourism demand is being redirected to underserved provincial destinations using data-driven insights.
Small operators in select regions are joining Mastercard’s Priceless Program to reach global cardholders.
THE Department of Tourism (DOT) and Mastercard are expanding support for tourism-related micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) through digital and experiential initiatives to strengthen local economies.
The collaboration is part of a three-year Strategic Collaboration Agreement to equip local communities and smaller tourism players with digital and cashless technologies.
Tourism Secretary Bernardita "Dita" Angara-Mathay said the partnership aligns with the government’s push to position tourism as a key driver of inclusive economic growth.
The DOT said merchant-driven activations under the initiative have already generated more than P6.3 million in sales, directly benefiting businesses in travel, dining, and cultural experiences.
To support tourism planning, the agency is also using Mastercard’s Destinations by SpendingPulse platform, which provides aggregated, anonymous spending analytics to monitor real-time tourist behavior.
The data allows the DOT to identify emerging visitor markets and redirect tourism demand toward underserved provincial destinations that stand to benefit from increased visitor spending.
Local operators, artisans, and restaurants in Metro Manila, Baguio, Bohol, Bicol, and Ilocos are also being integrated into Mastercard’s Priceless Program to showcase curated cultural and culinary experiences to domestic and international cardholders.
The DOT said the expanded platform gives smaller tourism enterprises a broader market reach while opening new economic opportunities through experiential travel offerings.
Through the partnership, the agency said it hopes to ensure that the benefits of a thriving and digitally enabled tourism industry are felt by the local businesses and communities that form the backbone of Philippine tourism.