Over 176,000 foreign tourist arrivals in PH since February

MANILA. Tourists from Germany carry their bags as they arrive at Manila's International Airport, Philippines on Thursday, February 10, 2022. (AP)

By: THIRD ANNE PERALTA-MALONZO, SunSTAR

OVER 176,000 tourists from abroad arrived in the Philippines after it opened its borders to foreign travelers amid the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said on Monday, April 4, 2022.

Puyat said from February 10 to April 2, there were a total of 176,857 tourist arrivals from both non-visa and visa-required countries.

She said majority of the tourists were from the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and South Korea.

On February 10, the National Government allowed the entry of tourists from non-visa countries in the country, while the acceptance of travelers from visa-required countries started on April 1.

This aims to boost the recovery of the country’s tourism sector, which has been in drought due to strict border controls brought about by the Covid-19 crisis.

Foreign travelers should be fully vaccinated except for children while they are also required to present a negative Covid-19 RT-PCR test result taken 48 hours prior to their trip, or a negative laboratory-based antigen result taken 24 hours before departure.

Puyat said they are elated by the continuous arrival of foreign tourists, as well as domestic travelers going on a trip amid the easing of quarantine restrictions in the country.

She said almost all of the resorts and hotels in tourist destinations nationwide were already fully booked for the upcoming Holy Week vacation.

Puyat reminded the public, however, to strictly adhere to minimum health protocols while having fun during their vacation to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

She urged individuals to get fully vaccinated and get their booster doses before going on a vacation to ensure their protection against severe and critical illness brought about by the virus.

The Department of Health recorded on Sunday, April 3, 690 additional Covid-19 cases, bringing the total tally to 3,679,629.

So far, over 65 million individuals have been fully vaccinated in the country, while more than 64 million have received the first dose a

Philippines to allow entry of foreign tourists soon — DOT

 

This undated file photo shows immigration counters at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Tourism said the Philippines would welcome international tourists for leisure travels soon.

This development came after Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat announced on Friday that the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) “has approved in principle the entry of fully vaccinated tourists from Green List countries/territories/jurisdictions” upon the request of the agency.

She said the entry of foreign tourists would follow the guidelines that would be finalized and approved by the IATF-EID.

The DOT said a Special Technical Working Group on Travel has been tasked to craft the said guidelines for the final approval of the IATF.

It is composed of representatives from DOT, the Departments of Foreign Affairs, Health, Finance, Trade and Industry, Transportation, Labor and Employment, Public Works and Highways, Bureau of Quarantine, Bureau of Immigration and Board of Investment, according to Department of Justice Undersecretary Jon Paulo Salvahan, the deputy of the Small Working Group on Travel.

The proposed guidelines, according to Puyat, would also be based on strict conditions.

Under this proposal, the country would open leisure travel from the “green countries” classified by the Department of Health as low-risk countries to COVID-19.

Green list

Based on the latest IATF Resolution No. 148-A signed last November 11, the following countries are classified under the “green list” from November 16 until 30:

American Samoa

Bhutan

Chad

China (Mainland)

Comoros

Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)

Falkland Islands (Malvinas)

Federated States of Micronesia

Guinea

Guinea-Bissau

Hong Kong (Special Administrative Region of China)

India

Indonesia

Japan

Kosovo

Kuwait

Kyrgyzstan

Malawi

Mali

Marshall Islands

Montserrat

Morocco

Namibia

Niger

Northern Mariana Islands

Oman

Pakistan

Palau

Paraguay

Rwanda

Saint Barthelemy

Saint Pierre and Miquelon

Saudi Arabia

Senegal

Sierra Leone

Sint Eustatius

South Africa

Sudan

Taiwan

Togo

Uganda

United Arab Emirates

Zambia

Zimbabwe

The tourism agency added that only fully vaccinated individuals with vaccines recognized by the country’s Food and Drug Administration under an Emergency Use Authorization or those authorized by the World Health Organization would be allowed entry to the country.

Puyat said the approval of the DOT’s proposal would help the country’s tourism industry get back on its feet.

"Allowing tourists from green countries or territories that have the majority of its population vaccinated and with low infection rate, will greatly help in our recovery efforts--increasing tourist arrivals and receipts among others. This move will likewise aid in bolstering consumer confidence, which is a large contributor to our gross domestic product or GDP growth," Puyat said.

In 2019, the Philippines recorded 8.26 million tourist arrivals, which dropped to just 1.48 million in 2020.

The tourism industry likewise contributed 12.7% to the country’s GDP in 2019 but the DOT noted a 61.2% decrease in 2020 with only 5.4% contribution to the GDP. This is reportedly the lowest in two decades.

“According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the Tourism Direct Gross Value Added (TDGVA) dropped to P973.31 billion last year compared with the P2.51 trillion in 2019.,” the DOT said in June.

Strategies for tourism industry recovery

The DOT, however, then said it is “optimistic that this transient situation will soon be over and that with the collective effort of the private and public sectors, the Philippine tourism industry will emerge bigger, better, and more resilient in the new normal.”

It lodged the following three strategies to overcome the tourism setback which are also stated in its Tourism Response and Recovery Plans: 

Ensure protection of jobs and safety of tourism workers, visitors, and communities

 

Support the recovery of tourism enterprises

 

Rebuild confidence and grow demand in the domestic and foreign market

“The pivot towards domestic tourism that led to the gradual reopening of various local sites, the lobbying for the protection of tourism workers through their inoculation, and the marketing of destinations highlighting the safe travel campaign are among the many efforts of the department that aim to facilitate the slow but sure recovery of the tourism industry,” the DOT said. 

“For the next two years, the Philippines will be positioned as a ‘safe, fun, and competitive destination’ rooted in strong partnerships with communities and visitors. This will be achieved by developing and marketing portfolio of products that harness the natural and cultural endowments to benefit the present and future tourism generation,” it added.

Puyat also said the welcome development on looming entry of international travelers to the country also came as neighboring countries have already reopened their borders to international leisure travelers.

“Our ASEAN neighbors like Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia also did the same. We believe that it is also time for us to reopen our borders for inbound tourism as a way towards full recovery,” Puyat said.

The DOT has been proposing the green lane that will facilitate the entry of foreign visitors who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 since May in an effort to help the reopening of the economy.

It is also working with the Small Technical Working Group on Travel for another proposal "Vaccinated Travel Lanes or Bubbles" as a special program for vaccinated tourists coming from yellow list countries, who may be able to enter the country under certain restrictions and strict conditions.

As of writing, the IATF resolution classifies all other countries/territories/jurisdictions not listed on the green list and red list as part of the yellow list. So far, only Faroe Islands and The Netherlands are under the red list.

PH to observe, learn from Thailand's experience in reopening country to foreign tourists

Phra Nang Beach, Krabi, Thailand (Sumit Chinchane/ Unsplash)

by Ellson Quismorio, Manila Bulletin

The Philippine government will try to learn from its neighbor Thailand as the latter opens up to fully vaccinated foreign tourists for the first time since the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic last year.

“Tinitingnan din po natin ang magiging karanasan ng Thailand dahil isa siya sa pinakauna na nagbukas ng turismo (We will look at the experience of Thailand because it is among the first to reopen its tourism industry)?” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a virtual press conference Friday, Nov. 5.

Roque noted that the economy of Philippines, like Thailand, is dependent on its revenues from tourism, which took a big hit the world over due to the emergence of the deadly COVID-19 early last year.

“Kaya lang mas dependent talaga sila sa tourism ‘no kung ikukumpara sa atin (But compared to us, they’re really more dependent on their tourism),” he said.

Still, stakes are high for Philippine tourism to get back on its feet as soon as possible, especially with the local hosting of the World Travel and Tourism Council Global Summit in March 2022.

Asked by a reporter if the Philippine government plans to reopen to international tourists in time for next year’s event, Roque replied: “Tama po kayo, pupuwedeng mangyari iyan ‘no. Pero kaya nga po, kinakailangan ma-achieve natin ang population protection by December (Yes you’re correct, that could happen. But that’s why we need to achieve population protection by December).”

The nationwide vaccination rate against COVID-19 stands at around 37 percent (full vaccination).

Over in the National Capital Region (NCR), nearly 89 percent of the eligible population has been fully vaccinated. This high rate of vaccination along with the plummeting daily new cases have allow the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) to de-escalate the region’s status from alert level 3 to alert level 2.

“So in due time po. We will open tourism in due time ‘no. At ngayon nga po na alert level 2 (And now that we’re under alert level 2), that’s very encouraging,” Roque said.

Travelers Capture Why They Explore the Philippines

BY:  (philstar.com) 

Photo features Bohol, as captured by one of the travelers who flew to different places in the Philippines via AirAsia Philippines.

MANILA, Philippines - As an old saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words, but sometimes a picture is worth more than a thousand words.

AirAsia recently launched #WhyIFly, an online campaign that seeks to drive more people to pursue their travel goals and spread the love of storytelling through beautiful films and photographs.

Company CEO Joy Cañeba shares, “Travel inspiration is everywhere. People are eager to break their routines, and are hungry for new and authentic experiences. Thanks to the Internet, Filipinos are becoming increasingly aware of the beauty and vibrant natural wonders of the Philippines and social media has made it very easy for people to share their discoveries, and spread a sense of wonder.”

To kick-off the campaign, several traveler-storytellers flew to different places courtesy of the airline to get a firsthand experience and to capture vibrant landscapes and idyllic country life many weeks ago.

Some young Filipino travel groups such as Where to Next, Free Spirits PH, SinoPinas, as well as videographer Patrick Martin journeyed far and near to explore Biri Rock Formations of Northern Samar; the bright turquoise waters of El Nido; the undiscovered beaches of Kalibo; and the lush forests of Bohol, and discovered little and large pockets of beauty.

One of the travelers is Javi Cang said the experience let them discover more places that are not known to many.

Lifestyle Feature - Travel ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1

"If you go San Vicente in Palawan, there's so many nice beaches. If you drive through San Vicente,just on the road side, there will be white sand beaches just like what you see in El Nido and Boracay. It's a little rugged pa and not yet developed, but what travelers can do is just take on the challenge of exploring the areas," shares the 25-year-old finance professional/adventurer.

Below are some of the photos from the travelers, chosen for the exhibit which was displayed on June 23 at the CBTL in BGC.

Bohol

Kalibo

Tacloban

Palawan

#WhyIFly aims to inspire more stories and journeys from people through the #WhyIFly Challenge, a call to inspire friends and loved ones to embrace local travel by sharing their travel motivations through beautiful photos in social media. The challenge will take place via Instagram, and will require participants to post one photo of their trip a day for five consecutive days, and provide an answer to “Why I Fly” as captions.

Four winners will be randomly chosen from the pool of entries from June 24 to Sept. 30, 2016 and will win seats for two to Bohol, Palawan, Tacloban or Kalibo and discover their own #AirAsiainBohol, #AirAsiainKalibo, #AirAsiainTacloban, or #AirAsiainPalawan stories. - Alixandra Caole Vila

Why Backpack in The Philippines

It’s not easy to get around the country, sure, but when you do…

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By  Marky Ramone Go, Manila Bulletin

The film The Beach invigorated the backpacking culture, but very few people knew that the inspiration for Alex Garland’s novel The Beach was really El Nido, Palawan, where he lived for several months. Since the novel was set in Thailand, the immediate pop culture result was the sudden recognition of Khao San Road in Bangkok as the starting point of the “Banana Pancake Trail”—a term given to expanding routes around Southeast Asia frequented by travelers. These backpackers, mostly young people on gap years, start their journey in this festive street lined up with bars and hostels before crisscrossing mainland Thailand and unto bordering countries such as Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore with most of them skipping the Philippines.

image: http://www.mb.com.ph/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/700.jpg

Mount Pinatubo (Photos marky Ramone Go)

This comes with a huge upside because it marks our beautiful nation in the off-the-beaten-path category that showcases still-pristine beaches and nature setting with less touristy crowd. This also gives us enough time to set up proper infrastructures and responsible tourism guidelines in place before we see an uptick in traveler arrivals. As we promote our country we must also make sure we practice being responsible voyagers.

As a traveler who has visited my own share of domestic and international destinations, I can say that wandering around our country still gives me the most thrills as I slowly discover my own land with the same probing eye and wonder as I do so when engrossed in foreign cultures. Ours is diverse in its own myriad of ways—gifting us with a visual feast that shifts from every beautiful conceivable form to another. From mountains to islands to quaint little towns highlighted by a colorful set of regional traditions and tasteful delicacies, it makes traveling in the Philippines more interesting because of the varied offerings to our senses as we trudge along each of our 81 provinces.

image: http://www.mb.com.ph/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/900-300x215.jpg

Biri Island

So why should one go backpacking in the Philippines?

I remember one Canadian traveler asked me this question. She quizzed me if we have the ancient temple ruins of Cambodia, Myanmar, Indonesia, and Thailand. While I answered in the negative,I followed it up with a series of positive characteristics of the Philippines that appeal to travelers of all kinds. I can’t remember how the rest of our talk went but looking at her Facebook images a year later, I could see that she enjoyed her time here in the Philippines much so that she extended her stay for a couple of months.

Let me show you just a few of the many photographic reasons why one should definitely go.

Stunning rock formation, created by the unforgiving waves of the mad seas that surround the Philippines for thousands of years, litters most shorelines and this one from Biri Island is just one of the five gigantic nature-carved rock hills on the island that delight visitors to no end. Natural pools filled with crystal clear waters and hilly greens perfect for camping circles each of these rock formations.

image: http://www.mb.com.ph/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/800-300x212.jpg

Sinulog Festival

Off-the-grid islands such as this one called Calaguas are too many too visit all in a lifetime. Walk over blinding white and ultra-pure sands.

And another one example is the White Island sandbar off the coast of another island called Camiguin. Even better news is the fact that when you hop from one boat to the next from Luzon to Visayas and to Mindanao you will realize how these stunning islands become typical sightings.

The island province of Palawan boasts of a magnificent shoreline stretching to about 1,931 kilometers and is dotted with more than 1,780 islands and islets, limestone coves, hot springs, majestic lakes, and fine-white sand beaches. It also possesses a vast land of virgin forests that encapsulate its chain of mountain ranges. A full range of activities from mountain climbing, scuba diving, snorkeling, kayaking, and beach bumming to anything related to island living awaits visitors in this pristine island province regarded by many travel publications as among the best in the world.

When you’ve had enough beaches and are tired of the island life, you can cool off in the highlands, where snaking mountain ranges offer marvels of the lush forest and natural attractions, such as waterfalls, lakes, and rolling hills as far as the eye can see.

And a natural environment serving home to a lush set of flora and fauna for you to fully enjoy what Mother Nature has to offer, including hundreds of waterfalls and lakes scattered all over the archipelago.

image: http://www.mb.com.ph/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/300.jpg

Tinuy-An Falls; Left: White Island

Not to mention mountain peaks, volcanoes, and lakes.

Big cities all over the country such as Manila may present you with a sensory overload, causing at first, a fit of annoyance because of the large population and the unforgiving street activities, but once you scratch off the surface one will discover hidden gems in every nook and cranny. Classic architecture visible on Spanish colonial churches and post-colonial homes produces a throwback vibe downtown in many provinces.

image: http://www.mb.com.ph/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/200.jpg

Batanes

Along the way while shuttling from one spectacular nature location to another you will pass by charming little towns offering a glimpse of the simple life in the countryside that best typifies the hospitality of the Filipino people. Indulge in the many colorful traditions and cultures by immersing with the locals sampling home cooked delicacies and merrymaking at the numerous festivals celebrated throughout the country all year long.The list of reasons go and on and on. So, next time you meet fellow travelers on the road abroad,why not initiate a conversation by suggesting them to visit the Philippines and if they asked you why, be prepared to engage in a long tête-à-tête because there’s a lot of wonderful things to say about our country.

3 Tourists (2 Germans) Rescued After 2 Days in Philippine Sea

Check it out:

3 Tourists Rescued After 2 Days in Philippine Sea - ABC News

First Cruise Ship to Dock in Davao

This city will welcome the first cruise ship to dock on March 30, 2012, carrying 371 French nationals to visit Davao City.

It is the NDS Voyages Princess Danae from France. It will dock after visiting Papua New Guinea. The French nationals as soon as they arrive on the 30th of March will be toured in selected tourist destinations in the city. The Department of Tourism also allotted a budget to show them around. 

Visitors then will be brought to Davao's newest and largest park, the "People's Park, and a personal encounter with the eagles at the Philippine Eagle.

Other areas where the visitors are set to visit are Davao's shopping havens like Aldevinco and the newest mall in the city, Abreeza. Princess Danae passengers are given an entire day to tour around the city. They will also set foot in Cebu and Manila as part of the regular stop overs.

Hopefully. Princess Danae will be the part of more cruise ships to include Davao in their destinations.