Travel and Tourism

PH could tap Japanese MICE market to increase arrivals: envoy

PH could tap Japanese MICE market to increase arrivals: envoy

May 15, 2019, 8:45 am

MANILA -- Japan Ambassador to the Philippines Koji Haneda on Tuesday said the Philippines could tap his country's MICE market to further increase the arrivals of Japanese to the country. MICE refers to meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions, a market in the tourism industry involved… Read More

PH tourist arrivals up by 7.59% in Q1 2019

PH tourist arrivals up by 7.59% in Q1 2019

May 9, 2019, 2:30 pm

MANILA -- The Department of Tourism (DOT) reported a 7.59 percent increase in tourist arrivals to the Philippines in the first quarter of 2019, indicating that the country's tourism "is on the right track." According to figures released by the DOT on Thursday, around 2,204,564 foreign visitors… Read More

5 reasons to visit Bangkok this summer

5 reasons to visit Bangkok this summer

May 8, 2019, 9:26 am

MANILA -- Thailand's new king and queen have just been crowned. This is probably among the timeliest seasons to visit the country and witness the new beginnings that await its people, at the same time experience its rich culture.If you are thinking of where to go during your summer break, here are… Read More

France sees huge potential in PH tourism

France sees huge potential in PH tourism

May 6, 2019, 7:19 pm

MANILA-- France has recognized the “huge potential” of the country’s tourism sector as it convened its first tourism joint working group meeting with the Philippines in Manila last month. “France is well aware of the huge potential of the Philippines’ tourism sector. Certainly, the… Read More

Keep abreast with latest tourism trends, says DOT exec

Keep abreast with latest tourism trends, says DOT exec

May 6, 2019, 11:48 am

IMUS CITY, Cavite -- An official of the Department of Tourism (DOT) urged Cavite's travel and trade industry to keep abreast with current tourism market trends. During the opening of the three-day Cavite Travel and Tours Expo (CTTE) at Isla Events here on Friday, DOT Region IV-A (Calabarzon)… Read More

Memories of Lucban’s ‘Pahiyas Festival’

Memories of Lucban’s ‘Pahiyas Festival’

May 4, 2019, 5:27 pm

MANILA -- It's the month of May and you know what it means: It's fiesta time! Many places in the countryside hold festivals and fiesta celebrations in May and they are indeed a time of merriment for locals and visitors alike. There's the Manggahan Festival of Guimaras and Kneeling Carabao Festival… Read More

PH's sustainable tourism invests in destinations, people: DOT

PH's sustainable tourism invests in destinations, people: DOT

May 2, 2019, 6:23 pm

MANILA -- Aside from responsible development of destinations, the Philippines' sustainable tourism is centered on investing in people, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said Thursday. These include the workers and stakeholders who will lead not only in promoting the country's natural… Read More

'Convergence approach' to address lack of PH gateways: DOT

'Convergence approach' to address lack of PH gateways: DOT

May 2, 2019, 5:16 pm

MANILA -- As an archipelagic state, building gateways and improving the existing ones in the Philippines is vital to further boost the growing tourism industry in the country, Tourism chief Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said Thursday. She said the Department of Tourism (DOT) continues to coordinate and… Read More

Museo de Intramuros to open on May 2

Museo de Intramuros to open on May 2

April 30, 2019, 6:38 pm

MANILA -- The Intramuros Administration (IA) on Tuesday opened the doors of the Museo de Intramuros at the San Ignacio Church, housing the country's largest collection of ecclesiastical artifacts. "This is the only state collection that is ecclesiastic in nature. This is the biggest collection in… Read More

PH pushes for gender-responsive tourism industry

PH pushes for gender-responsive tourism industry

April 30, 2019, 4:05 pm

MANILA -- With the unprecedented growth of Philippine tourism and its potential to create more jobs for women, the government is pushing for policies that are more gender-responsive. Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said the industry has opened up opportunities for more Filipinos, with… Read More

Pandang Gitab, Oriental Mindoro's 'unique' festival of lights

Pandang Gitab, Oriental Mindoro's 'unique' festival of lights

April 30, 2019, 9:10 am

MANILA -- The Pandang Gitab Festival, coined from the Filipino folk dance Pandango sa Ilaw (Dance of Lights), is a far cry from the loud, usual drummed beats of older and much famous festivals in the Philippines. But for the people of Oriental Mindoro, that unique aspect adds to the annual… Read More

French tourism exec lauds gov't-led efforts to rehabilitate Boracay

French tourism exec lauds gov't-led efforts to rehabilitate Boracay

April 29, 2019, 6:33 pm

MANILA -- A visiting French tourism official on Monday has recognized the government-led Boracay rehabilitation efforts in 2018.  "What your president did in Boracay, you know cleaning up and everything, it's very good of course, it's very good," Morad Tayebi, Southeast Asia director for… Read More

130K Filipino tourists expected to visit France this year

130K Filipino tourists expected to visit France this year

April 29, 2019, 5:13 pm

MANILA -- The French government is seeking to attract at least 130,000 Filipino tourists to its numerous medieval towns and religious destinations by end of 2019. Morad Tayebi, Southeast Asian director for Atout-France, the European nation's Development Tourism Agency, said Filipino tourists in… Read More

Treasures of SOX: Finest Soccsksargen finds in Manila

Treasures of SOX: Finest Soccsksargen finds in Manila

April 26, 2019, 8:44 am

MANILA -- The finest things that could be found in the Soccsksargen region are once again on display at the Robinson's Place in Manila for the fourth installment of Treasures of SOX travel and trade expo. The expo, which runs from April 25 to 28, features local produce and crafts from the region's… Read More

Beyond sands and waters: Pinoys' love for beaches

Beyond sands and waters: Pinoys' love for beaches

April 11, 2019, 1:40 pm

A beach in Potipot Island, Sta. Cruz, Zambales. (PNA photo by Priam Nepomuceno)MANILA -- With the Philippines consisting of more than 7,100 islands, one can hardly find Filipinos who are not fascinated with beaches. And with the peak of the summer already here, who could resist an escape to the… Read More

Eastern Samar eyes more tourists

Eastern Samar eyes more tourists

April 11, 2019, 11:25 am

TACLOBAN CITY -- A local government official in Eastern Samar is eyeing to quadruple the province's share of the regional tourist arrivals in the next three years. With 22 towns and one city, Eastern Samar’s PHP841 million income from tourism is very small compared to what other provinces get… Read More

DOT to promote climate-smart agri in farm tourism

DOT to promote climate-smart agri in farm tourism

April 10, 2019, 7:42 pm

MANILA-- The Department of Tourism (DOT) is keen on including climate-smart agriculture in its promotion of agri-tourism, a ranking official said Wednesday. Undersecretary Benito Bengzon Jr. noted that climate-smart agriculture is a "fairly new concept to some" but it is something that the DOT… Read More

Intramuros to open 9 churches, chapels for Lent

Intramuros to open 9 churches, chapels for Lent

April 10, 2019, 2:44 pm

MANILA-- The Department of Tourism (DOT) announced that the Intramuros Administration (IA) will be opening nine churches and chapels for visitors and pilgrims next week in time for the Lenten season. "For this year, from eight churches and chapels that we've opened last year, we are opening… Read More

Tourist arrivals up by 5.9% in Jan-Feb 2019

Tourist arrivals up by 5.9% in Jan-Feb 2019

April 10, 2019, 2:29 pm

MANILA -- Foreign tourist arrivals to the country continue to increase, with 5.9 percent growth in the first two months of 2019 compared to the same period last year. "For the first two months, tourist arrivals have been 1,493,000 precise," Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Bernadette… Read More

Stargazing, sports, music at 'Viva Europa' 2019

Stargazing, sports, music at 'Viva Europa' 2019

April 8, 2019, 5:04 pm

MANILA -- The European Union (EU) delegation to the Philippines puts children in the spotlight this year as they included exciting activities like stargazing in their annual culture season, Viva Europa. In cooperation with the Manila Astronomical Society, the EU delegation will conduct a… Read More