Travel and Tourism
Cruise ship with 1.8K passengers docks in Puerto Princesa
March 2, 2023, 8:03 pm
PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan – City officials here welcomed the second cruise ship to visit Palawan after the Covid-19 pandemic, saying cruise ship tourism is a major boost to the local economy. City Tourism Officer Demetrio Alvior Jr. said the Westerdam cruise ship, carrying 1,800 passengers,… Read More
AirAsia PH to hire more pilots, crew
March 2, 2023, 7:17 pm
MANILA – AirAsia Philippines will continue to boost its manpower this year and will hire more pilots and crew, its executives confirmed on Thursday. "AirAsia Philippines' decision to hire more flight crew and technical staff is our way of ensuring the best travel experience for all our guests.… Read More
Filipinas ‘powering’ travel; earn P2.5B as hosts in 2022
March 1, 2023, 9:05 am
MANILA – The Philippines has been identified as Airbnb’s second-largest women-powered host community in the world, with Filipinas making up 65 percent of its hosts in the country. Mich Goh, Airbnb’s head of public policy for Southeast Asia, said Tuesday that hosts who self-identify as women… Read More
TIEZA collects P2.3-B travel tax in 2022; online payment launched
February 28, 2023, 6:14 pm
MANILA – The Philippine government has collected PHP2.3 billion in travel tax in 2022, raising optimism this year for the tourism industry severely battered by the pandemic. Data from the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) showed that last year’s PHP2.38 billion… Read More
New flights from Clark to boost tourism, decongest NAIA
February 28, 2023, 11:23 am Updated on March 1, 2023, 12:45 pm
MANILA – The Department of Tourism (DOT) on Tuesday welcomed the reopening of several local airlines' direct flights from Clark International Airport to the country’s prime island tourist locations. Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said the newly reopened routes would boost the country’s… Read More
Cebu Pacific boosts Clark hub; 140 new personnel eyed
February 27, 2023, 7:51 pm
MANILA – Low-cost carrier Cebu Pacific (CEB) announced Monday it is boosting its Clark hub with three additional planes and operating 13 international and domestic destinations.Via Clark, CEB flies to Caticlan, Davao, Cebu, Iloilo, Bacolod in the Visayas; General Santos City and Cagayan de Oro… Read More
DOT to promote PH as tourism powerhouse in Berlin
February 27, 2023, 3:16 pm
MANILA – The Department of Tourism (DOT) and its attached agency, the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), will lead the delegation that will present the country’s developments and product offerings at the Internationale Tourismus-Börse (ITB) Berlin Convention in Germany on March 7 to 9. The event… Read More
Lampinigan Island pushed as Basilan’s ecotourism zone
February 23, 2023, 4:45 pm
MANILA – Deputy Minority Leader and Basilan Lone District Representative Mujiv Hataman on Thursday pushed for the passage of a bill declaring Lampinigan Island located in the Isabela City, Basilan ecotourism zone. Hataman said the growing number of visitors frequenting Lampinigan shows the great… Read More
DOT extends ‘free accreditation’ for tourism establishments
February 23, 2023, 3:15 pm
MANILA – The Department of Tourism (DOT) is extending the waiving of accreditation fees for tourism establishments. Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco said the move would help tourism enterprises to recover from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. DOT's Memorandum Circular 2022-001 is… Read More
DOT allots P180M for 15 local tourism projects
February 23, 2023, 2:10 pm
MANILA – The Department of Tourism (DOT) has allotted PHP180 million to support 15 tourism projects across the Philippines. The project called “Tourism Champions Challenge” is a nationwide campaign to incentivize tourism development among cities and municipalities. The initiative will help… Read More
PH destinations nominated anew in 2023 world travel awards
February 21, 2023, 1:09 pm
MANILA – The Philippines and two of its leading destinations have been nominated for major awards under the Asia category of the 30th World Travel Awards (WTA). The Department of Tourism (DOT) announced Tuesday that the Philippines is running as Asia’s Leading Beach Destination, after winning… Read More
VAT refund system for tourists gets House panel nod
February 20, 2023, 7:01 pm
MANILA – The House Committee on Ways and Means on Monday approved a measure creating a mechanism through which non-resident tourists may refund their value-added tax (VAT). During the hearing, Nueva Ecija Rep. Mikaela Angela Suansing, committee senior vice chairperson, said tourist spending is… Read More
PH to join Expo 2025 in Japan: Frasco
February 18, 2023, 4:59 pm
MANILA – The Philippines is participating in the World Expo 2025 to be held in Osaka, Japan, the Department of Tourism (DOT) announced Saturday. During her speech at the 2023 Japan Festival in Makati, Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco confirmed that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. approved… Read More
New tourist pit stop to rise in Palawan: DOT
February 18, 2023, 12:59 pm
ROXAS, PALAWAN – Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco on Friday led the groundbreaking ceremony for the 10th Tourist Rest Area (TRA) in Palawan, which aims to enhance the overall tourist experience of both foreign and local visitors. The TRA, a flagship project of the… Read More
Domestic tourism driving hotel occupancy: group
February 17, 2023, 9:30 pm Updated on February 17, 2023, 9:38 pm
MANILA – Occupancy rates in some hotels are exceeding pre-pandemic levels due to pent-up demand as well as “strong domestic tourism” in the country, a hotel sales and marketing group said. In an interview this week, Hotel Sales and Management Association (HSMA) president Loleth So said… Read More
Making up for lost time through revenge travel
February 17, 2023, 3:40 pm
MANILA – With pandemic restrictions being relaxed, people confined to their homes during the height of the health crisis due to lockdowns are now deciding to travel to various destinations and make the most of their newfound freedom. This phenomenon is called revenge travel when people try to… Read More
PH wins bid to host 2028 Rotary Int'l Convention
February 15, 2023, 7:43 pm
MANILA – Manila has won the provisional bid to hold Rotary International's annual convention in June 2028, which is set to gather 25,000 participants from across the world, the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) said Wednesday. The TPB, the agency tasked to market the country's meetings, incentives,… Read More
Cruise tourism back after 3 years; 139 port calls in PH expected
February 15, 2023, 5:07 pm
MANILA – The Philippines’ cruise tourism is seen to bounce back after three years since the onset of the pandemic, with 139 port calls and over 117,000 passengers pegged for 2023 alone. The number of calls scheduled this year reflects a 36 percent increase from 102 in 2019, Tourism Secretary… Read More
PH raises over P100M sales leads in ASEAN tourism forum
February 13, 2023, 5:52 pm
MANILA – The Philippine delegation has raised over PHP100 million worth of sales leads during the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) held in Yogyakarta, Indonesia from Feb. 2 to 5. In a statement Monday, Tourism Promotions Board chief operating officer Maria Margarita Montemayor-Nograles said the… Read More
PH holds great potential to attract Japanese tourists: travel org
February 10, 2023, 7:47 pm
MANILA – Japanese stakeholders are bullish on Philippine tourism prospects, especially with a wide range of travel offerings. Takahashi Hiroyuki, chairperson of the Japanese Association of Travel Agents, said during a stakeholders’ meeting with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Tourism… Read More
