‘Philippines tourism alive again’

MANILA, Philippines — With more Filipinos able to afford traveling around the country and even overseas, a travel executive declared that the Philippines’ tourism industry is alive again amid continuous easing of pandemic restrictions.

Travelers look for tourism offerings that cater to families and even bigger groups, including those in the corporate sector sponsored by their companies, Aileen Clemente, president of Rajah Travel Corp. said.

“They prefer guided tours. They are not as concerned about their security as before. But it’s more of they want a family-like tour which is more intimate, more experiential… they still prefer those with exclusivity,” she told The STAR.

Asked if the tourism industry is revived, Clemente replied, “Yes, the tourism industry is alive.”

Fitch Solutions’ research firm BMI projected that this year, the Philippines will “fully recover” its tourist arrival levels before the pandemic plagued the world and shut down travel in 2020.

“In 2024 we project the Philippines’ tourist arrivals will grow to 8.21 million,” BMI said in a statement on Jan. 31.

The Philippines welcomed over 8.26 million foreign tourists in 2019, according to the Department of Tourism.

The growth in tourist arrivals in the Philippines – perceived to be at 64 percent– would “primarily be driven by increasing arrivals from key source markets, such as South Korea, China, the US, Japan and Australia,” BMI noted.