Travel and Tourism
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
1st cruise ship docks at Puerto Princesa seaport after 3 years
February 9 2023, 9:55 pm
PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan – This city's tourism industry has received a major boost with the arrival of the first cruise ship in the country after three years due to the pandemic. Seabourn Encore docked at the Puerto Princesa City seaport on Thursday morning, signaling the return of cruise… Read More
DOT to further promote MICE to attract more Japanese visitors
February 9 2023, 4:41 pm
MANILA – The Department of Tourism (DOT) is keen on further developing the exhibition and conference industry to increase the number of Japanese visitors to the Philippines. Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, who is in Japan with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., said Japan is an… Read More
Gateways most essential parts of tourism recovery from pandemic
February 4 2023, 7:47 pm
MANILA – The Philippines has expressed its “full support” behind the efforts of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to improve accessibility among its member states. Department of Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco, who represented the Philippines at the 26th ASEAN Tourism… Read More
Mactan int'l airport’s new fuel system to boost Cebu air traffic
February 4 2023, 11:34 am
CEBU CITY – The installation of a fuel hydrant system (FHS) at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) will speed up aircraft turnaround and increase air traffic in Cebu, an official said on Saturday. The new system for delivering fuel to the aircraft will help position the province as the… Read More
Filipinos among most ‘favored tourists’ in Taiwan
February 4 2023, 8:30 am
MANILA – Filipinos are among the most favored visitors in Taiwan because they are not frugal spenders when traveling, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Manila said Friday. TECO Representative Peiyung Hsu made the statement as he invited more Filipinos to visit Taiwan and take… Read More
Taiwan to evaluate visa-free extension for PH
February 3 2023, 4:54 pm
MANILA –Taiwan is set to reevaluate its visa-free entry privilege for Philippine passport holders as the program expires on July 31, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Manila said Friday. The visa-exempt entry scheme for Filipinos resumed on Sept. 29, 2022 and will be in place… Read More
PTAA opens 3-day travel expo
February 3 2023, 4:18 pm
MANILA – The three-day Travel Tour Expo (TTE) formally opened on Friday, with hopes to attract more locals and foreigners to tour around the country with affordable travel deals and packages. The expo, organized by the Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA), targets at least 80,000… Read More
Legazpi tourist arrivals up almost 200% in 2022
February 1 2023, 6:18 pm
LEGAZPI CITY – After more than two years of lockdowns and implementation of health and safety protocols by the government against Covid-19 that heavily affected the business and tourism sectors, arrivals of both foreign and domestic visitors in this city increased by almost two hundred percent… Read More
DOT affirms support to PH Dev’t Plan 2023-2028
January 31 2023, 7:38 pm
MANILA – Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco affirmed the Department of Tourism's (DOT) commitment to take an active role in realizing the socioeconomic policies, strategies, and programs enclosed in the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028 of the Marcos administration. "While the tourism… Read More
Chinese tourists to fuel global econ recovery, cultural exchange
January 26 2023, 6:04 pm Updated on January 26, 2023, 6:14 pm
BEIJING – "We cannot wait to have the Chinese back in our restaurants. We missed it so much," said Alix Pickard, a senior manager of a British restaurant corporation. China relaxed its outbound travel restrictions amid its recent overall Covid-19 response shift. Officials and tourism… Read More
