FOREIGN GUESTS ARE BACK. The Department of Tourism (DOT) regional office in Tacloban City. Eastern Visayas DOT on Friday (Feb. 25, 2022) welcomed the arrival of foreign tourists in the region as the government reopened the country's borders after two years of movement restrictions due to Covid-19 pandemic. (PNA file photo)
TACLOBAN CITY – Eastern Visayas has welcomed the arrival of foreign tourists as the government reopened the country's borders after two years of movement restrictions due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.
Hotels in the region’s six provinces and two major cities – Ormoc and Tacloban- have welcomed at least 123 foreign guests as of February 23, records of the Department of Tourism (DOT) regional office here show.
“The return of foreign guests to Eastern Visayas is also an indication that they are confident that even in the midst of this pandemic, they know that in the region, Covid-19 management is being done well and that their health and safety is assured,” DOT Regional Director Karina Rosa Tiopes said in a message to the Philippine News Agency (PNA) on Friday.
After almost two years of slump, the relaxation of arrival requirements has given the country’s tourism industry a boost in its initiative to restart, Tiopes said.
“While domestic tourism is the backbone of Philippine tourism, we give focus on foreign arrivals because every foreign tourist brings in new money to our economy. Domestic tourism, on the other hand, helps revolve money around the different regions in the country,” she added.
The tourism official asks for the cooperation of industry key players to consciously abide by the minimum health and safety protocols set in place by the government.
As of Feb. 25, Eastern Visayas has recorded 61,884 confirmed Covid-19 cases, with 61,062 recoveries and 661 deaths. (PNA)
