The good news is that the national vaccination program is rolling at a brisk pace. The existing Alert Levels System has been downgraded in the National Capital Region (NCR).
The downgrade allowed restaurants, grooming services, sports and training centers and most recently, movie houses, to open at 30 percent capacity starting October 16.
But what about travel? Are there guidelines available for those who want to travel to favorite domestic tourism destinations like Boracay, Baguio, Tagaytay and Siargao? Can those fully vaccinated go to these places already?
Is it already safe to move around despite the threat of Covid-19?
Major pillar
For Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, travel and tourism will still be safe and fun even in the middle of a pandemic. “As a major pillar of the Philippine economy and a provider of millions of jobs, we must continue to find ways so that tourism operations will resume across the country,” she said during the recent webinar organized by the University of the Philippines titled “Travel in the time of Covid-19.”
Under the government’s Alert Levels System for NCR, residents aged 18 to 65 years old can do inter-zonal travel, which means eligible family members can now travel to local destinations that have re-opened. “The best way to restore confidence and to inspire travel is to ensure that those who work in the tourism sector, those in the frontlines of the tourism industry, are fully vaccinated.”
Puyat said the DOT is ramping up to vaccinate the A1 and A4 tourism workers, particularly in the major destinations. In the NCR, she said 99 percent of tourism workers employed in hotels have already been vaccinated, and overall, 98.31 percent of all tourism workers, including those working in DOT-accredited restaurants, have been fully vaccinated as well. Nationwide, 55.31 percent of tourism workers have been fully vaccinated as of October 1, 2021.
She noted that the DOT is also building other domestic tourism initiatives to hasten the industry’s recovery. The DOT regional offices are re-calibrating tourism offerings and creating new products and the so-called “tourism circuits.” At the start of Year 2020, a total of 44 tourism circuits have already been validated, from food crawls to bike trails, to heritage tours and historical caravans. She added that 72 more circuits are in the pipeline for development.
She likewise pointed to the recently launched “Wellness Workation Program,” which caters to the work-from-anywhere crowd looking to add some nature and wellness components to balance out their lives. “Initial destinations for this program are Boracay, Tagaytay and Batangas.”
Some people already tried the program to cure “cabin fever” and seek health improvement.
Safe tourism
The DOT has issued about 50 guidelines in the operations of tourism-related enterprises under the various levels of community quarantine restrictions. Since only DOT-accredited facilities are allowed to operate and re-open, there was a deluge of applications since the pandemic began. From 9,942 accredited tourism enterprises in 2019, there are now 11,557 accredited facilities across the country, or an uptick of 22.4 percent. “Having DOT accreditation shows that enterprises complied with safety standards to help raise consumer or traveler confidence.”
Establishments can also show that they comply with global health and safety standards through the World Travel and Tourism Council’s (WTTC) “Safe Travels” stamp. In September 2020, the Philippines became the 100th country awarded with the “Safe Travels Stamp.” “We were given the role of safe travels ambassador to our stakeholders, advocating for the use of the stamp to rebuild confidence among travelers. Eligible destinations can use the stamp once health and hygiene protocols outlined by the WTTC have been implemented. As of October 1, the DOT has issued the stamp to three destinations—Baguio City, Boracay Island, and Ilocos Norte. And in 216 accredited accommodation establishments nationwide, the Central Visayas region has the greatest number of recipients.”
Due to the virus’ unpredictability and its many mutations, the industry’s recovery has been subjected to many starts and stops, she said. However, she said that on a positive note, as of October 15, 2021, the Philippines already received 90.61 million doses of vaccines since February, with 51.48 million doses administered as of October 14. The total number of fully vaccinated individuals in the country is already at 23.98 million or 31.09 percent of the target population.
Romulo-Puyat said the DOT will continue to push for vaccination, the promotion of safe domestic travels, and the continued development of tourism products and circuits that reflect the change in preferences of the new normal traveler.
Covid-19 has been a particularly tough adversary but it’s now understood much better than when it first emerged. And with more promising medical breakthroughs, the country is becoming better equipped to deal with Covid-19 and hopefully, one day, eliminate it altogether.
“While it’s still around, let’s all do our part to stay safe but let’s all remember that we can still have some fun and travel to reopened destinations for as long as we follow the prescribed health and safety protocols. But it would be best if we are all fully vaccinated to protect not only ourselves but others as well. Let us all travel safe and show how responsible tourism can help stop Covid-19 deaths and contribute meaningfully to our national recovery,” Romulo-Puyat declared.