TOURISM should be seen as more than an economic driver; it is a social contract that preserves culture, builds communities and creates lasting connections, according to a former tourism official.
Speaking before a community of tour guides on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025, Alma Rita Jimenez, chief executive officer (CEO) of Health Solutions Corp., warned against reducing the industry to a purely transactional exchange of money for movement.
“When tourism becomes a product to be sold, we risk turning communities into commodities and culture into content,” she said during the 1st Philippine Tour Guide Summit in Fili Hotel, Nustar Resort Cebu.
She emphasized that the industry must evolve from counting arrivals and revenues to cultivating meaningful relationships between destinations and travelers.
“Every mountain, shoreline and street corner holds a story,” she noted, adding that trust and stewardship should underpin tourism’s growth.
Jimenez, a former tourism undersecretary, highlighted the crucial role of tour guides, who she described as “the human face of tourism.” Once limited to narrating itineraries and schedules, guides must now serve as storytellers, sustainability champions and global ambassadors.
“Travelers no longer want scripts. They want stories they can carry home,” she said, adding that while digital tools enhance the tourism experience, nothing compares to the “human touch” that truly transforms it.
“Today, these travelers are no longer passive consumers. They are seekers. They want connection, authenticity and transforming experience, and that means your role is no longer just to inform, it’s to interpret, to inspire, to invite. You bring emotion into locations,” she said.
The CEO also pointed to global challenges — including climate change, pandemics and disruptive technologies — that are reshaping the sector. She urged industry players to shift toward regenerative tourism, which seeks not just to minimize harm but to leave destinations better than they were found.
Examples, she said, are already evident in the Philippines with guides in Palawan leading mangrove planting tours, while those in Bohol are integrating oral histories and local crafts into experiences. Such initiatives, she argued, elevate tourism from entertainment to legacy-building.
“The Philippines does not need more tourists — it needs more witnesses,” she said. “Every traveler who leaves with our story carries a piece of who we are. And that is how tourism becomes not just an industry, but a legacy.” / KOC