ACCOMMODATION establishments with dedicated air charter services are the only ones which can accept point-to-point (P2P) guests from the National Capital Region and four provinces (NCR-Plus) now under general community quarantine (GCQ) “with heightened restrictions.”
These hotels and resorts are also required to secure another certificate from the Department of Tourism (DOT) if they want to accept guests flying in by the dedicated air charter services.
This was contained in the DOT’s Advisory 5, series of 2021 dated May 14, 2021, to wit: “Leisure travel into and out of NCR-Plus is not allowed except for point-to-point air travel to accommodations that have been granted a Certificate of Authority to Operate for Point-to-Point Air Leisure Travel [CAO P2P].” NCR-Plus refers to Metro Manila plus Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite, and Laguna.
DOT Undersecretary for Legal Affairs Edwin R. Enrile clarified to the BusinessMirror, “Not all charter services” can be used by tourists to fly from NCR-Plus to leisure destinations. “The charter has to be exclusively for the resort, because the concept is bubble tourism,” he explained.
This means, NCR-Plus tourists can only book in high-end resorts such as the El Nido Resorts Group and Amanpulo in Palawan, as well as Balesin Island in Quezon, to name a few.
But he could not explain why these resorts needed another permit when these resorts are already accredited by DOT and were given a CAO when they reopened for tourism, along with having a dedicated air charter service. “The guidelines were developed in conjunction with the Department of Health, Department of the Interior and Local Government, and the Department of Transportation,” he underscored.
He cited DOT’s earlier released P2P air travel for leisure purposes guidelines under Administrative Order 2021-003, which are applicable to “all accommodation establishments in areas under GCQ or [modified] GCQ, accessible via point-to-point air travel,” as the ones able to accept guests from NCR-Plus.
MICE, social gatherings still banned
Meanwhile, under the latest DOT advisory, “Meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions [MICE] and other business events, and social events such as wedding reception, parties, debuts, anniversary celebrations and the like,” are still not permitted in NCR-Plus.
Allowed are staycations, but only in accommodation establishments that have a CAO for Staycation. There are 13 hotels with close 6,000 rooms in Metro Manila allowed to offer staycations: Grand Hyatt, Okada Manila, Shangri-La at The Fort, Nobu, Joy Nostalg, Edsa Shangri-La, Solaire, Hyatt Regency and Nuwa at City of Dreams, The Peninsula, Aruga by Rockwell, Sheraton Manila, and Hilton Manila. Hotels being used as quarantine or isolation facilities are not allowed to handle staycation guests.
No information was made available for hotels or resorts in the “Plus” provinces.
As per the advisory, outdoor tourist attractions such as nature parks and theme parks may operate at 30 percent of the venue’s capacity, but with strict adherence to minimum public-health and safety standards.
Restaurants and cafes in hotels may operate their indoor dine-in services at 20 percent of seating capacity, and 50 percent for al fresco dining.
Residents in NCR-plus between the ages of 18 and 65 years old are the only ones permitted to enjoy staycations, eat at restaurants and cafes in hotels.
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Apart from Amanpula and El Nido Resorts Group, I believe Banwa Private Island would be also among the High End Luxury properties, no?