MANILA, Philippines (AP) —Following the reopening of the country’s borders last week, the Department of Tourism (DOT) is optimistic that visitor arrivals will climb even more.
Actual inbound tourist arrivals from visa-free nations reached 9,283 as of February 14. According to DOT data, 4,209 of these people are returning Filipinos (balikbayan), while 5,074 are foreign tourists.
Bernadette Romulo-Puyat stated that the department is anticipating a gradual increase in tourist arrivals, which would contribute to the recovery of the local tourism industry.
Puyat stated, “International travel and tourism saw an unprecedented decline in visitor arrivals amid the pandemic; the reopening of the Philippines’ borders to visitors from visa-free countries will surely help in improving our numbers.”
“We at the DOT are excited to see a revival in our local tourism and will continue to support our partners in achieving this goal,” she added.
With 2,227 visitors from February 10 to 14, the United States leads the way. There are 661 from Canada, 404 from Australia, 344 from the United Kingdom, 189 from South Korea, 169 from Japan, and 168 from Germany.
Puyat also emphasized the country’s preparedness for the inflow of foreign visitors, stating that more than 90% of the country’s target tourism staff are completely vaccinated.
She stated, “The DOT’s goal has since shifted to providing fully vaccinated workers with booster shots, which will not only give them extra protection against the virus but also add to the confidence of local and foreign tourists as they make their way to the country’s many breathtaking destinations.”
As of February 11, 323,206 people, or 93.09 percent of the DOT’s nationwide target of 353,075 tourist workers in various tourism-related industries, had received full COVID-19 vaccination.
57,347 people, or 17.74 percent, have had their booster shots.
Fully vaccinated tourists must present proof of vaccination approved by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases or the World Health Organization, as well as a negative RT-PCR test result obtained within 48 hours of leaving the country of origin, according to the DOT.
Proceed with caution.
Carlos Capulong, the Bureau of Immigration’s (BI) port operations chief, advised airlines to exercise caution in ensuring that their passengers meet the government’s requirements.
According to him, airlines are primarily to blame if their customers are denied entry into the country.
“This is a joint effort by different government agencies, as well as the airlines, who are the first to evaluate documents presented by travelers,” he said in a statement.
According to him, foreigners who are ineligible for entry are turned away at the airport and board the next available flight back to their port of origin.
However, according to Capulong, the airlines have been extremely helpful and cooperative “with these policies that we are duty-bound to impose.”
Jaime Morente, BI Commissioner, also reminded airlines to only allow eligible foreigners to board flights bound for the Philippines.
According to the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF), the country will only allow fully vaccinated foreigners to enter, subject to the presentation of required documents.
