Issue 46 – November 2022

LONDON, United Kingdom — The Philippines is ready to receive more tourists as the outlook for Philippine tourism remains positive, with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s support for the industry as a priority in his administration.

This was the announcement made by Philippines Department of Tourism (PDOT) Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco as she addressed tourism ministers and international travel and tourism executives during the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Aligned Advocacy Dinner on Monday (Nov. 7 London time) at the One Great George Street in London.

“Prior to my assumption on June 30th, the projections were that the Philippines will receive 1.7 million tourists by the end of this year. Since we have begun with all the programs and plans of the Marcos administration, we have far surpassed this goal,” Secretary Frasco said.

Based on the PDOT’s latest data as of November 14, tourists arrivals to the Philippines has now reached 2 million.

“Driving our economic recovery are no other than the Filipino people. We have a young and well-trained workforce who are as kind and gentle a people, as they are courageous and fierce,” she added.

Secretary Frasco shared some of the steps being undertaken by the Philippine government and the PDOT in order to sustain the positive trajectory seen with the country’s tourist arrivals.

“By way of the President’s issuing of an Executive Order to lift the prohibition on the entry of unvaccinated foreigners, our guests are just now required to show a negative antigen test should they wish to come to the Philippines,” Secretary Frasco said.

The DOT is set to launch overwintering packages developed together with travel agencies that “showcases not only our idyllic islands and charming destinations, but also many thematic adventures for the picking, from luxury trips to family vacations, unique Filipino wellness experiences, to colorful cultural immersions, discovering the underwater world through diving exhibitions, discovering our flavors through food trips,” added Secretary Frasco.

Another initiative of the PDOT is the Philippine Experience Culture Heritage and Arts Caravan, which will give tourists will have a chance to go around the Philippines and view how beautiful the country’s destinations are through its festivals, food, products, and warmth of the Filipino people.

“As we approach the end of 2022 and the new year ahead, we look to the future with optimism and hope. Grateful for your friendship, for your continued interest in the Philippines, knowing full well that with the strength of spirit of the Filipino people, there’s so much to look forward to. I invite you all to come to the Philippines and feel the warmth of the Filipino people,” the DOT chief said.

WTM LONDON

Earlier, Frasco led Philippine tourism players in formally opening the Philippine Pavilion at the World Travel Market (WTM) 2022 in ExCeL, London to convey the country’s openness to tourism and business opportunities at the global travel and trade meet.

The tourism chief expressed confidence in the prospects of the Philippines at the WTM 2022 London saying that “There’s so much to be proud of in our country and there is no doubt that our country continues to be a top of mind destination notwithstanding all of the challenges and calamities that we have faced.”

“Only in the Philippines can you find three of the top 25 best islands in the world: Cebu, Palawan, and Siargao. Only in the Philippines can you find one of Time Magazine’s 50 Best Places of the Year: Boracay. In addition to that, we have the continuing wonders of our country including the subterranean river in Palawan, chocolate hills in Bohol, as well as all the other beautiful beaches of our country that have included the Philippines as one of the 40 Best Countries in the World. Recently, we were chosen as Asia’s Leading Dive Destination, Asia’s Leading Beach Destination, and Asia’s Leading Tourist Attraction,” she added.

Philippine companies from the travel and tours, hotel, and dive sectors make up the Philippine contingent to the WTM 2022 London, an annual event that invites the biggest names and brands in the travel and related sector.

“The Philippine delegation has come here with a singular mission, and that is to convey to the rest of the world that the Philippines is open and ready to receive tourists and investments. I pray for the success of this mission because there’s no reason why we should fail because we have such a beautiful country,” Secretary Frasco said during the huddle with the exhibitors.

WTM London is a global travel and tourism event where the biggest names in the industry from every sector and every background can connect and network with each other and find new ways to grow and develop their business.

PATA is a not-for profit international association known for being “a catalyst for the responsible development of travel and tourism to, from and within the Asia Pacific region.” 

Source: Excerpts from the news release from the PDOT Office of Public Affairs and Advocacy

The Department of Tourism (DOT) celebrates the Philippines’ back-to-back wins in the Condé Nast Traveler (CNT) 2022 Readers’ Choice Awards. 

The world-renowned Island of Boracay was awarded the Top Island in Asia. Of the Top Ten Islands, Palawan ranked eighth. The Philippines was also awarded one of the Top Countries in the World ranking 30th.  

“We are extremely grateful for these international awards for the Philippines based on the opinion and experience of travelers from all over the world. As we usher in this new era of travel post-pandemic, our focus is to continue building confidence towards travel to the country by ensuring improvement in ease of access, prioritizing tourist safety and convenience, and encouraging sustainable tourism practices,” Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco shared. 

“Recognitions such as these affirm our efforts to herald not only our country’s natural wonders but also our readiness to become the premier tourist destination in Asia.  The Department is one with all our tourism stakeholders, from the local government units, private sector partners, and our fellowmen in celebrating these victories for the Philippines from Condé Nast Traveler. We are confident that the acclaim for our flagship destinations will help garner more international interest for our country. With President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.’s thrust to expand and equalize tourism opportunities nationwide, the development and promotion of our other emerging destinations will follow suit soon,” the tourism chief added. 

Palawan, which garnered an 88.99 rating, is joined by equally heralded island destinations from Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, and Japan in the CNT Asia list. 

 “With the relaxation of the Philippines’ mask mandate and our efforts towards the continuous review and recalibration of the country’s existing health and safety protocols, taking into consideration the current health situation, and benchmarking on the best practices of ASEAN countries, our tourists can now all the more enjoy our nature-based tourism destinations like Boracay and Palawan all over the archipelago while still being assured that their health and well-being remain our priority,” the tourism chief added. 

Other citations of the country in the CNT Readers’ Choice Awards, ranked by almost a quarter of a million voters, include Top Resort in Asia awards for Shangri-La’s Boracay Resort (5th), El Nido Resort – Pangulasian Island (8th), and Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort and Spa, Cebu (20th). 

Do you have plans to visit the Philippines? 🇵🇭🧳✈

If you are fully vaccinated, you don’t have to undergo any COVID-19 tests, nor do you need to quarantine.

If you are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated, an antigen test is all you need.

And oh..dont’ forget to fill out the e-arrival card.

Now, pack those bags and we hope to see you soon! Read below for more details.

Source: PDOT Office of Public Affairs
and Advocacy

The Philippine Travel Exchange (PHITEX) 2022 tallied a record-breaking PHP 172,602,851.00 business sales leads in just two days, according to data from the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Philippines, the marketing arm of the Department of Tourism.

The said amount is based on the initial submission of negotiated sales of Philippine sellers physically present at the event from October 19 to 20, 2022 surpassing sales reports of pre-pandemic editions when it lodged 94.8 million in 2018, and P46 million in 2019. In its hybrid format in 2020 and 2021, sales leads from the PHITEX aggregated to P43 Million and P69 million, respectively. 

Now on its 21st year, the PHITEX is the biggest government-led travel trade event in the country organized by the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Philippines. 

“The impressive turnout of buyers and sellers, and the record-breaking numbers encapsulate the positive outlook for our country and growing interest in our destinations. As we embark in an aggressive campaign to revive our tourism industry and roll-out never seen before projects that will facilitate an enhanced connectivity into and around the Philippines, and provide a more convenient and seamless travel experience for guests, we anticipate more interest from local and international tourism stakeholders,” shared Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, who sits as the chairperson of the TPB.

“President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. has reiterated the tourism industry’s crucial role as an important economic development tool and this initiative is an avenue which can facilitate the creation of more employment opportunities and livelihoods for our countrymen,” the tourism chief added.

This year’s PHITEX was conducted in a hybrid format with international buyers and local sellers participating in on-site business-to-business meetings held at the Marriott Grand Ballroom and online via a virtual platform.

Out of the 116 total number of buyers representing 32 countries, 53 were physically present and 63 participated virtually. The negotiated sales were computed from the seller’s sales leads reports for both confirmed and pencil-booked sales. 

Meanwhile, 80% of the international buyers present will be traveling to six post-event tour circuits: Cebu-Bohol, Negros Oriental-Siquijor, Ilocos, CALABARZON, Davao, and Metro Manila. Aside from experiencing the newly developed circuits, the buyers will also be joined by Philippine tourism stakeholders in a series of networking nights to further expand the business opportunities offered by PHITEX. The virtual business meetings will continue on October 26-28 and more sales leads reports will be submitted after the completion of the event.

TPB Chief Operating Officer Margarita Nograles exclaimed, “We are so proud of the collective efforts of our TPB team, our partners and sponsors, our stakeholders and our suppliers who mounted this successful event. This is the biggest negotiated sales generated by PHITEX in all its years and we are seeing more leads coming in. Secretary Frasco has always emphasized the importance and opportunity in equitably promoting all our regions and not just our popular destinations. This strategy has been proven effective as we brought the Regional Directors to be part of the B2B process, incorporated an exhibit of all the regions, invited weavers from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, and made sure that in our cultural shows, we integrated all regions in the visuals and live performances.”

PHITEX 2022 was organized in partnership with Philippine Airlines, and with the support of Globe Business, Primer Group of Companies, Destileria Limtuaco, Holiday Inn, Newport World Resorts, Hotel 101, Double Dragon, and San Miguel Brewery.

About PHITEX

The Philippine Travel Exchange is a signature travel trade show of the Tourism Promotions Board Philippines. The event brings together international buyers and local tourism stakeholders in a business matching environment for individual or group bookings with Philippine companies.

Source: Tourism Promotions Board Philippines