MANILA – The Department of Tourism (DOT) and global payments firm Mastercard have established a strategic collaboration to boost the country’s data-driven destination marketing.

The two partners officially marked the start of their cooperation during a ceremony at the DOT office in Makati City on Wednesday.

Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said this partnership will not only open opportunities for joint promotions but also help strengthen the agency's digitalization initiatives.

“On the side of the Department of Tourism, the data that Mastercard will be able to provide us and vice versa will ensure that both our policies as well as programs will always be data driven, as well as driven by the needs of people on the ground,” she said in an interview.

The DOT earlier zeroed in on the possibility of partnering with Mastercard to tap into the latter's global analytics capabilities and boost smart tourism in the country.

“Mastercard, of course, is a global platform, and the wealth of their experience in terms of transactions related to the tourism industry is one that we hope to be able to harness in terms of improving the tourism experience in the country,” Frasco said.

Mastercard Senior Vice President and head of Integrated Marketing and Communications for Southeast Asia Dheeraj Raina, in a separate interview, said the firm sees a positive trend in Philippine tourism, especially with the upcoming direct flight between Manila and New Delhi.

“And the Philippines offers a very unique, diverse and new experience, so we are quite bullish, actually, that this will grow and the numbers will only go up in the second half of the year, and, of course, in 2026,” he said.

Mastercard already features Filipino destinations in its global consumer platform called “Priceless,” putting a spotlight on bookable experiences in various Philippine provinces.

The platform's so-called “priceless experiences” are reserved only for Mastercard cardholders, with some already inclusive of round-trip ground transfers to/from select locations, entrance fees to all attractions, lunch, guided tour, premium seats to cultural show, and museum visit. (PNA)