The ‘paradox of tourism’

It is still anybody’s guess whether the lockdown here in Metro Manila will be extended for the sixth time. And as done in the past, President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to deliver again his public address to the Filipino people on the country’s current situation to control the spread of the 2019 coronavirus disease (C-19) pandemic. 

The severe impact of C-19 pandemic virtually stopped the travel industry across the globe.  

Like some countries, the extreme lockdown drastically cut travel to and fro the Philippines. From the first month-long lockdown last March 15, the movement of people has since then been gradually being loosened up. 

The final words will come from the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) that reviews and recalibrates the lockdown areas every 14 days. The IATF met last week at Malacañang to finalize their recommendations for the approval of President Duterte on another extension of lockdown in various parts of the country for the next 14 days. 

The fifth extension of the lockdown, particularly in Metro Manila lapsed today. In fact, Malacañang earlier announced President Duterte might conduct again his next IATF meeting most likely in Davao City where he has been staying at their family residence since last week.  

The IATF lockdown guidelines are weighed in according to public health concerns on potential resurgence of C-19 infection cases as against the impact to the country’s economic well-being. Areas that are still considered “high-risk” will remain under Extreme Enhanced Community Quarantine (EECQ); “moderate risk” areas downgraded to Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ); and areas considered “low risk” are classified under General Community Quarantine (GCQ) rules. And the next – and perhaps the last step to transition to the so-called “new normal” – is modified GCQ, or MGCQ.

As we brace ourselves for this “new normal,” the IATF prescribes the “minimum health standards” and “safety protocols” to keep our people safe from the feared second or third wave of C-19 contagion. With the movement of people and goods less restrained from travelling from one place to another, the Department of Tourism (DOT) headed by Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat vows to ensure the safety and well-being of both foreign and Filipino travellers. Until a vaccine is developed against the highly contagious C-19 infection, Romulo-Puyat noted, all ports of entry all over the world strictly implement a 14-day quarantine to all travellers coming in to their countries. 

For the meantime, the IATF have been laying down the groundworks for the resumption soon of travel to and fro the Philippines under the “new normal.” According to DOT chief, only domestic air travels in some parts of the Philippines have been allowed to resume in GCQ areas. The bulk of air travel though are still “sweeper” flights to pick up returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), stranded foreigners and locally stranded individuals caught in the lockdowns in the various provinces. 

The DOT announced last week they are starting with a domestic tourism program called the “travel bubbles” of islands around the country with near zero C-19 cases.

The DOT “travel bubbles” destinations like Boracay and Bohol for starters were warmly welcomed by the stakeholders who joined us at the Kapihan sa Manila Bay news forum Webinar last Wednesday. They included Jose Clemente III, president of the Tourism Congress of the Philippines (TCP); Philippine Tour Operators Association (PHILTOA) president Cesar Cruz; Arthur Lopez, president of the Philippine Hotel Owners Association (PHOA); Ricky Isla president and chief executive officer of Air Asia Philippines and also the president of the Air Carriers Association of the Philippines (ACAP).

In fact, Boracay will have a soft-opening starting tomorrow after several months of being closed down last year on orders of President Duterte. The entire resort island is now ready to receive local tourists again after the IATF downgraded Boracay under MGCQ. Task Force Boracay – that included DOT, gave the go-signal after local authorities provided for C-19 testing machines and QR Code for health declaration forms of incoming tourists. 

Also as a member of the expanded IATF, the DOT imposed the requirement that would allow accommodation establishments like hotels and tourist resorts located under MGCQ areas to secure first a Certificate of Authority before they can gradually resume operations again. But, at a 50-percent capacity only and after they pass DOT requirements on tools to prevent spread of C19 infection.

“This is like a seal of good housekeeping,” Romulo-Puyat pointed out.

Speaking for the TCP, Clemente conceded the country’s tourism industry faces a bleak future unless the government comes in to bail them out. The 14-day quarantine imposition in all countries due to C-19 pandemic, Clemente cited, is the single, biggest challenge to revive the tourism industry. “This is the paradox of tourism. During good economic times, they bring in so much of the revenues and employment. But when external factors like this (C19 pandemic) come along, it becomes non-essential activities,” Clemente rued. 

Data from DOT shows that international arrivals for January to May 2020 dropped to 1.3 million arrivals from 3.49 million arrivals in the same period last year. Estimated inbound tourism revenues during that period plunged to P81.05 billion from P205.50 billion in the same period a year ago. As to job losses, tourism-related employment in the Philippines reached 5.4 million in 2018. So you can just imagine the heavy economic toll of the lockdown.

To help jumpstart the recovery of the country’s tourism industry, the DOT chief counts much upon the Board of Investments (BOI) on the grant of tax incentives to various tourism enterprises to upgrade their facilities and make it compliant with health and safety protocols to protect their customers and their workforces as well against C-19 contagion. 

This is supposedly intended to reverse the “paradox of tourism” that is certainly not a monopoly here in the Philippines.