Travel and Tourism
Rediscovering the metro through ‘Ikot Manila’
August 11, 2018, 6:59 pm
MANILA-- Foreign and local tourists alike may now rediscover old and new must-see places in Metro Manila through the Ikot Manila tourism campaign of the Department of Tourism (DOT) and the LRT-1, which has options for guided and unguided tours. “IkotMNL” features an updated list of sites and… Read More
DOT condoles with kin of 7-yr old girl killed by jellyfish sting
August 3, 2018, 3:59 pm
MANILA -- The Department of Tourism (DOT) on Friday sent condolences to the bereaved family of Gaia Trimarchi, the 7-year-old girl who died from jellyfish sting while on vacation in Caramoan, Camarines Sur DOT Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat has instructed the agency to extend full assistance… Read More
DOT to rehabilitate Banaue Rice Terraces
July 27, 2018, 1:24 pm
MANILA -- The Department of Tourism (DOT) will rehabilitate the famed Banaue Rice Terraces in Ifugao by end of 2018 or next year, a Tourism official revealed Thursday. In an interview, Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) Chief Operating Officer Pocholo Paragas said DOT… Read More
Royal Air eyes Macau-Subic flights
July 27, 2018, 1:15 pm
MANILA -- The Department of Tourism (DOT) is working with Royal Air to mount chartered flights between Macau (MFM) and Subic Bay International Airport seven times per week. “Royal Air is among our airline partners, which the DOT is working with to bring in tourists from China. Through our Route… Read More
TIEZA inks 5 tourism enterprise zone partnership agreements
July 27, 2018, 9:24 am
MANILA -- The Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) on Thursday inked five Tourism Enterprise Zone (TEZ) partnership agreements, granting fiscal and non-fiscal incentives, and tax and duty-free importation of goods and services in such areas. TIEZA Chief Operating Officer… Read More
DFA to Filipinos traveling to Paris: Be wary of break-ins, robberies
July 23, 2018, 11:16 pm
MANILA-- The Philippine embassy in France on Monday issued a travel advisory, reminding Filipinos traveling to Paris to be wary of spate of break-ins, robberies, and pickpocketing incidence in the city. The advisory, coursed through the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), also noted "the string… Read More
January-June tourist arrivals hit 3.7-M: DOT
July 20, 2018, 4:25 pm
MANILA -- The country is "on track" with its 2018 target for international arrivals after foreign tourists to the Philippines reached an "all-time high" of 3.706 million in the first half of the year, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said Thursday. "We are actually on track. We are halfway the year… Read More
PH, France eye deeper tourism cooperation, set sights on faith tourism
July 17, 2018, 8:02 pm
MANILA -- The French Embassy in Manila is optimistic on the further development of France and Philippine relations, with the two countries' upcoming bilateral meeting on tourism. During the Bastille Day celebration in Makati City over the weekend, French Ambassador Nicolas Galey cited an active… Read More
Palawan, Cebu named among best islands in the world
July 13, 2018, 6:46 pm
MANILA-- Two Philippine islands were named among the best in the world by the 2018 poll of New York-based Travel+Leisure magazine. Travel+Leisure conducted its annual World’s Best Awards survey, where its readers share insight on best travel experiences around the globe, from top cities,… Read More
Taiwan extends visa-free program for Pinoys
July 12, 2018, 12:45 pm
MANILA -- The visa-exemption program for Filipinos is officially extended until July 31, 2019, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) announced Thursday. The move was an extension of the visa-free trial period and will be subject to be reviewed until it lapsed next year. In a statement,… Read More
Int'l, local composers join Banaue-inspired music competition
July 10, 2018, 8:21 pm
MANILA-- Twenty local and foreign composers will compete in the Banaue Rice Terraces-inspired symphonic competition as part of a project to restore the landmark's glory. The 20 were among 84 participants who sent entries for the Banaue International Music Composition Competition (BIMCC), the first… Read More
LGU, private sector tie-up to save Banaue Rice Terraces
July 10, 2018, 7:00 pm
MANILA -- With a huge land area of the Banaue Rice Terraces deteriorating, the local government has partnered with the private sector to save the country's northern treasure and prevent it from being removed from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World… Read More
DOT: Effort relentless in pursuing women-empowering tourism
July 10, 2018, 10:54 am
MANILA -- The Department of Tourism (DOT) continues its drive to pursue tourism that provides women numerous opportunities, in its bid to make the industry gender- and community-empowered. Tourism Undersecretary Alma Rita Jimenez told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) in a recent interview that the… Read More
PH to craft communication plan for barrier-free tourism
July 6, 2018, 8:31 pm
MANILA-- The Department of Tourism (DOT) on Friday said the government is preparing a communication action plan for a barrier-free tourism in the country. The communication action plan is expected to strengthen the coordination between the public and private sectors in creating and implementing… Read More
PH to host international farm tourism summit
July 5, 2018, 9:17 pm
MANILA-- As one of the leading Southeast Asian countries promoting farm tourism, the Philippines will be hosting the Global Farm Tourism Summit on July 17 in Tagaytay City. Dr. Mina Gabor, former Tourism chief and now president of the International School of Sustainable Tourism (ISST), said the… Read More
DOT wants fast visa process for Indians, Chinese tourists
July 5, 2018, 8:08 pm
MANILA-- The Department of Tourism (DOT) is seeking to facilitate the visa upon arrival (VUA) processing for Chinese and Indian tourists. "Right now, the two major markets that we have to really look out in terms of facilitating entry are China and India," Tourism Undersecretary Benito Bengzon… Read More
10% hike in foreign arrivals despite Boracay shutdown
July 5, 2018, 7:14 pm
MANILA-- Despite the closure of Boracay Island in April, the January to May 2018 international tourist arrivals still posted a 10.24 percent increase compared to last year's, the Department of Tourism (DOT) bared on Thursday. The first five months of the year recorded 3.17 million foreign visitors… Read More
New Taipei representative seeks strong tourism ties with PH
July 4, 2018, 8:11 pm
MANILA -- The new Taiwan (ROC) representative in Manila seeks to further enhance the tourism ties between Taiwan and the Philippines as Filipino tourist arrivals to Taipei reached a record high in 2018. "In line with President Tsai Ing-Wen’s 'New Southbound Policy', the Philippines has become a… Read More
Filipino arrivals to Taiwan up 60% in first 5 months of 2018
July 3, 2018, 6:20 pm
MANILA -- Filipino tourist arrivals to Taiwan from January to May this year increased by 60 percent following the implementation of a trial visa-free treatment for the Philippines, a Taiwanese official said Tuesday. Yu-Shin Chen, deputy commissioner of Taipei City said at least 290,784 Filipinos… Read More
A walk in the clouds: China's natural heritage sites
May 30, 2018, 9:13 pm
JIANGXI PROVINCE, China--The People’s Republic of China is not just all about temples and modern edifices such as the famous Bird’s Nest, the national stadium where the 2008 Olympics and Paralympics were held. The fourth largest country in the world is also home to many natural heritage… Read More
