The Commission on Audit (COA) flagged the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) for excessive and unnecessary foreign travel expenses in 2023, noting a 57% increase compared to the previous year. The COA questioned the deployment of multiple TPB officials to perform seemingly redundant functions and raised concerns about the necessity of their presence at certain events, such as the World Travel Market in London.
The Commission on Audit (COA) has raised concerns regarding the significant increase in foreign travel expenses incurred by officials of the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) in 2023. According to the COA's 2023 report, the TPB's spending on foreign travel surged by 57% during the year. A substantial portion of these additional costs were attributed to a Department of Tourism ( DOT ) program, despite the TPB's relatively minor role in its implementation.
The COA criticized the deployment of numerous TPB personnel to perform seemingly redundant functions.The audit report highlighted several TPB executives who incurred a total of P3.74 million in travel expenses. These included the Domestic Promotions Department (DPD) manager and the acting head of the Branding Management and Advertising Division, who attended BBMG events in various cities, including Tokyo, San Francisco, London, Germany, and the UAE. A TPB project development officer accompanied the BBMG delegation to Tokyo, San Francisco, and London to manage logistical arrangements and administrative tasks. Two additional officials traveled to Germany to provide assistance and coordination. Furthermore, seven TPB officials spent P890,500 attending the World Travel Market in London in November 2023. This group comprised the TPB's deputy chief operating officer for marketing and promotions, as well as acting heads of the International Promotions Department (IPD) across different continents. The COA questioned the necessity of their presence, arguing that their responsibilities, such as monitoring, coordinating arrangements, and engaging in business-to-business (B2B) activities, were already being handled by the deputy chief operating officer. The report stated that the tasks of the TPB delegates appeared largely overlapping, casting doubt on the need for their collective attendance.In its response to the audit findings, the TPB asserted that the officials' participation in these international events was essential for managing critical tasks. However, the TPB pledged to develop comprehensive guidelines to ensure a consistent policy regarding the deployment of staff to tourism events abroad
COMMISSION ON AUDIT TOURISM PROMOTIONS BOARD FOREIGN TRAVEL EXPENSES DOT AUDIT REPORT
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