The Philippines is participating in the World Expo 2025 to be held in Osaka, Japan, the Department of Tourism (DOT) announced Saturday.

During her speech at the 2023 Japan Festival in Makati, Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco confirmed that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. approved Manila’s participation in the 184-day exposition.

The Philippines wants to further foster its cultural and people-to-people ties with Tokyo, Frasco said, adding that “this mutual relationship we hope to be able to develop in the next few years.”

“To express our support for Japan, I am pleased to confirm that our President has approved our participation in the Expo 2025 in Osaka where the Philippines will show the best of the Filipino people,” she said.

World Expos are one of the oldest and largest international events, taking place every five years and lasting six months.

The Philippines has participated in previous expos held in Seattle, New York, Osaka, Brisbane, Vancouver, Seville, Hannover, Shanghai, and the most recent one in Dubai.

The upcoming Expo 2025, which is expected to draw about 28 million visitors from across the world, will take place in Yumeshima, Osaka from April 13 to Oct. 13, 2025.

‘Important market’

In the same event, Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Kazuhiko Koshikawa said Japan recognizes the Philippines as a strong partner in reinvigorating the travel sector.

He noted that Marcos’ first working visit to Japan had opened a “promising new chapter” in the two nations’ relations, especially on two-way tourism.

“In this new chapter, it is our priority to boost tourism exchange between our two countries. It is also my sincere wish for more Filipinos to travel to Japan, my country,” he said.

Before the pandemic, the Philippines received more than 682,000 Japanese nationals while more than 600,000 Filipinos traveled to Japan.

Frasco likewise said that Manila regards Japan as an important tourism market.

She said the DOT would continue to initiate measures to improve the Philippines’ tourism offerings, such as leisure, island hopping, beach and nature destinations, English as a Second Language, and golf tourism, to make them even more attractive to Japanese visitors. (PNA)