THE Department of Tourism (DOT) will continue with its domestic tourism push, in light of continuing international restrictions and a growing travel ban on countries that have reported the new variants of the Covid-19 virus.
This, following the 83.97-percent fall in international visitor arrivals to 1.32 million in January to December 2020, from 8.26 million in 2019, according to data reported by the agency. Reflecting this, receipts generated from foreign tourists slumped by 83.12 percent to P81.4 billion from the P482.16 billion recorded in 2019.
In an online presser Tuesday, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat said, “Domestic tourism will continue to be the main strategy to reboot Philippine tourism. The DOT and TPB [Tourism Promotions Board] will spearhead product diversification and enhancement activities with the regions and LGUs [local government units].”
Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque also announced Tuesday the inclusion of China, Pakistan, Jamaica, Luxembourg and Oman, which have already recorded the new Covid variants in the government’s travel ban. This brings to 33 the number of countries and territories whose citizens are banned from entering the Philippines. Filipinos traveling from the banned countries will have to take an RT-PCR test upon arrival at the airport and quarantine for 14 days at government-assigned facilities or quarantine hotels of their choice, on their own account.
With the new Covid-19 variants recorded in countries abroad, Romulo Puyat said, “Entry protocols will need to be further strengthened.”
She added, “On our part, the continued development of health and safety guidelines for the operations of other tourism enterprises and activities will be prioritized to ensure the well-being of visitors and workers, as well as help improve the readiness of destinations to reopen for business,” said the DOT chief.
More destinations eyed for reopening
The government agency hopes to reopen more tourism destinations, but the DOT chief said, “This was dependent on the LGUs to see if they are ready.” Destinations now open to leisure guests include Boracay Island, Bohol, Baguio City, the Ilocos region (except La Union), El Nido and Coron in Palawan, as well as several resort islands in the province, Polillio Island (Balesin) in Quezon, to name a few.
She added the DOT will help LGUs that have declared their readiness to accept tourists, but “there is a need to harmonize the different LGU requirements” to standardize travel protocols and encourage movement, adding that, “the adoption of a unified contact-tracing app is recommended in light of the different ones currently in use.”
Romulo Puyat said the DOT is still looking to create travel bubbles with neighboring countries, but she underscored that these “demand the strict enforcement of health and safe protocols at the destination countries. The proper infrastructure needs to be established and certified by both governments to ensure symbiotic and harmonious results.”
She said the agency is currently updating its National Tourism Development Plan for 2016-2022, and working out the framework for the new 2022-2028 plan.
DOT Spokesman and Undersecretary Benito C. Bengzon Jr. said a new domestic tourism survey is being completed, the results of which will help them update the NTDP targets.