Travel and Tourism
3.87-M foreign tourist arrivals near PH full-year target
September 20, 2023, 4:47 pm
MANILA — The Philippines is close to hitting its 2023 arrival target after recording more than 3.87 million foreign tourists as of Sept. 19, Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said Wednesday. At the opening of the 2023 Philippine Travel Exchange (PHITEX) in Cebu, Frasco said the country logged… Read More
PH’s FIBA World Cup hosting boosts hotel occupancy, visitor arrivals
September 18, 2023, 8:21 pm
MANILA – Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco on Monday said the country’s hosting of the FIBA World Cup 2023 from Aug. 25 to Sept. 10 has brought favorable improvements to the tourism industry. Frasco noted an uptick in the hotel occupancy rates as teams, basketball… Read More
Antique, Misamis Oriental, N. Mindanao eyed as go-to dive sites
September 17, 2023, 4:43 pm
MANILA – The Department of Tourism (DOT) is preparing Antique, Northern Mindanao and Misamis Oriental as the next go-to diving sites to sustain the Philippines’ standing as the leading dive destination in the region. Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco made the announcement during the… Read More
Frasco cites PBBM's programs for tourism industry
September 2, 2023, 9:03 am
MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said Friday that policies and programs that would upgrade critical tourism infrastructure and capacity building for the workforce and entrepreneurs are underway. In his speech read by Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco during the 34th Philippine… Read More
More than 80 PH hotels, resorts to join Sept Online Sale
August 25, 2023, 12:58 pm
MANILA – At least 80 hotels and resorts are participating in this year’s September Online Sale (SOS) to offer marked-down rates in 19 destinations across the Philippines. The sale, led by the Hotel Sales and Marketing Association (HSMA), will run from Sept. 1 to 30. “Wala nang mga limits… Read More
Be wary of travel scams; purchase tickets through app – AirAsia
August 22, 2023, 7:02 pm
MANILA – AirAsia Philippines on Tuesday warned the public against unscrupulous individuals or groups representing the airline, luring them to purchase cheap tickets, tour packages and other products. In an advisory, AirAsia said it received multiple reports that several groups and individuals… Read More
PAL adding more flights to Samar starting September
August 22, 2023, 3:45 pm
TACLOBAN CITY – The Philippine Airlines (PAL) is adding two more flights from Manila to airports in Catarman in Northern Samar and Calbayog City in Samar province starting in September. PAL Calbayog and Catarman station manager Gregory Paul Yulo announced in an advisory Tuesday that two flights… Read More
Cebu City tourism exec seeks more consular offices in China
August 22, 2023, 11:02 am
CEBU CITY – The Cebu City Tourism Commission (CCTC) on Monday urged the Marcos administration to open more consular offices in China and other Asian countries to further boost the tourism arrivals in Cebu and other parts of the country. Lawyer Jocelyn Pesquera, head of the CCTC, said a team from… Read More
Niyogyugan Festival back in Quezon after 3-year halt
August 19, 2023, 7:49 pm
LUCENA CITY – The Niyogyugan Festival, Quezon province’s annual event to celebrate its coconut farmers, resumed after a three-year halt, bringing in an average of 20,000 tourists daily. The 11-day long festival that ended Saturday is part of the province’s commemoration of the birth… Read More
‘Fun, foodie, friendly' slogan seen to spur tourism in Iloilo
August 17, 2023, 7:57 pm
ILOILO CITY – The province is adopting the “Fun, Foodie, Friendly Iloilo” slogan for its tourism campaign under its Movement for a Robust, Progressive, Globally-competitive, and Resilient Province of Iloilo (MoRProGRes) whole-of-province approach in development. “In three words, we capture… Read More
DOT, NCIP partner to involve IPs in tourism dev’t
August 17, 2023, 7:52 pm
MANILA – The Department of Tourism (DOT) and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) have formally partnered to boost the promotion of cultural heritage while empowering the indigenous peoples (IPs) through tourism. The DOT on Thursday said Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco and… Read More
Duty Free to hold 2-day sale for arriving int’l traveler
August 17, 2023, 7:46 pm
MANILA – The Duty Free Philippines Corporation (DFPC) is holding a two-day sale for Balikbayans and all arriving international travelers this week, promising up to 20 percent discounts in two of its stores in Metro Manila. The weekend sale will cover a variety of items at the Duty Free… Read More
PAL to resume daily Tuguegarao flights in October
August 15, 2023, 8:25 pm
MANILA – Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) on Tuesday announced the resumption of its daily flights between Manila and Tuguegarao in Cagayan province beginning Oct. 29. In an advisory, PAL said the link between Cagayan Valley and Metro Manila will have these daily schedules: • PR… Read More
Starlux Airlines inaugurates Taipei - Clark flights
August 15, 2023, 6:05 pm
CLARK FREEPORT, Pampanga – Taipei-based Starlux Airlines inaugural flight officially landed at Clark International Airport (CRK) here on Tuesday. It marked the start of the Taipei-Clark daily flights of the airlines’ Airbus A321 neo. The aircraft is configured in a two-class layout, with… Read More
44th Masskara Festival set Oct. 7-22
August 15, 2023, 12:39 pm
BACOLOD CITY – The 44th edition of the Masskara Festival will kick off on Oct. 7 and run until Oct. 22, with a “more spectacular” street and arena dance showcase to culminate the celebration of the “festival of many faces.” Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said the 15-day festivity would… Read More
Pico de Loro: Sustainable, meaningful travel experience
August 14, 2023, 8:28 pm
MANILA – Destinations are keeping up with the changing travel behavior among tourists, more and more of whom are seeking out unique and meaningful experiences after more than three years of being cooped up during the pandemic. Studies showed that travelers are showing a preference for… Read More
Recovering Duty Free PH posts $54.1M sales Jan-July
August 12, 2023, 8:32 pm Updated on August 13, 2023, 3:26 pm
MANILA – The Duty-Free Philippines Corporation (DFPC), an attached Department of Tourism (DOT) agency, has recorded USD54.1 million in sales for the first seven months of 2023. Based on its latest data released Aug. 11, the DFPC said the figure is 43.8 percent of its sales target at USD123.5… Read More
PH generates P286B in tourist receipts this year - DOT
August 11, 2023, 7:00 pm
MANILA – The Philippines sees a strong recovery for the tourism sector after recording PHP286 billion in tourism receipts from January to July 2023. The Department of Tourism (DOT) on Friday said the tourism revenue is consistent with the over 66 percent tourism international arrivals recovery… Read More
Support for ‘Love the Philippines’ campaign grows -- DOT chief
August 10, 2023, 7:15 pm Updated on August 10, 2023, 9:30 pm
MANILA – Nearly 900 local government units and stakeholders across the country have so far adopted the “Love the Philippines” campaign, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said Thursday. In her remarks during the Philippine Tour Operators Association (PHILTOA) general meeting in Alabang,… Read More
CebuPac: Q2 travelers up YoY but still below pre-pandemic levels
August 10, 2023, 7:10 pm
MANILA – Low-cost carrier Cebu Pacific (CEB) announced Thursday that passenger traffic in the second quarter has increased year-over-year (YoY) but is 8 percent lower than the pre-pandemic levels. The Gokongwei-led airline ferried 5.46 million passengers, 29 percent higher compared to the same… Read More
