Philippines

The US Embassy in the Philippines has warned American citizens to reconsider travel to the Philippines

The Hundred Islands National Park will reopen to Pangasinan residents from 8 Aug. Requirements to visit including an age limitation from 21 – 59 allowed to enter, health certificates and registration. Online reservation is encouraged and will be prioritised. Only 1,000 pax will be allowed per day, distributed across the 3 parks

Asturias in western Cebu has been developing its marine tourism. A province not previously known for its tourism products, it has retrained fishermen to lead dolphin watching cruises, and is building ziplines and other activities

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) have revealed that the economy contracted by 16.5% in Q2. Business leaders are calling for a recovery plan focusing on health to regain public confidence, as the key to reviving the economy

The Cuatro Islas has had a new tourism infrastructure development plan endorsed by the regional council, which will position it as a prime tourist destination in the Eastern Visayas

The Philippines has disputed the claim that it now has the most COVID-19 cases in SE Asia, and that this was simply because Indonesia was not testing enough

No additional restrictions have been imposed after the MECQ was reimposed in Metro Manila, with existing travel restrictions unchanged. International flights to Manila, Cebu and Clark continue

Oslob town is seeing just 8-10 visitors daily since 1 Aug, a big drop from the 1,000 tourists it used to see pre-pandemic. The town has lost 35 million PHP in tourism income

All commuters must wear face shields as well as masks on public transport. Talking on mobile phones is also discouraged

Many were left stranded at Manila airport after the cancellation of domestic flights from the capital

The Eastern Visayas are planning for a restart for domestic tourism, becoming known as a fun yet safe place

Baguio is planning what regulations need to be in place for when it opens to tourism, which will include advanced registration, COVID testing and expecting isolation whilst waiting for test results. The city will also limit the number of visitors per day

Consumer spending will decline by 7.8% this year, according to new research, rebounding to 5.5% in 2021

The House of Representatives have approved the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act, which contains vital tourism funding

3.5 million Filipinos have been stranded across the country due to lockdown rules

Davao International Airport will have holding facilities with up to 1,000 beds and a lab equipped to handle RT-PCR tests for arriving air passengers. However, international flights to the airport remain unavailable

Some hotels are refusing to accommodate returning overseas Filipino workers as the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration has not settled its financial obligations which amount to 17.5 million PHP

Hospitality workers have been told to upgrade their skills to ensure their employability

The Tourism Congress of the Philippines is backing the idea of travel bubbles direct to destinations, bypassing Manila to avoid impact from lockdowns

Metro Manila will return to Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) from 4 – 18 Aug, after a record increase of COVID-19 cases

The country experienced its highest spike in cases with 4,963 being detected on 1 Aug

Ilocos provincial government is not aiming to build up tourist confidence yet, but is rather focusing on educating tourism businesses, as well as run hyperlocal pop-up activities targeting residents. The province has also distributed cash assistance to 1,000 displaced tourism workers. It estimates it has lost 250 million PHP from Mar – May

Philippines has now surpassed the 100,000 cases mark, with its highest spike of cases on Sunday of 5,032

Passenger ships will now be allowed to dock in Cebu, so long as pax and crew follow the health and safety protocols of a GCQ area

Bohol has lost at least 1.014 billion PHP during the time that Panglao island was closed for 4 months. But despite the island reopening for domestic tourism, it has seen little arrivals

8 policemen will be assigned to each tourist destination in Cebu to ensure tourists are obeying the health protocols

The average daily rates (ADR) of Metro Manila hotels are expected to fall by 30% by YE to $55 USD, with ADR already dropping by 16% in H1. Hotel occupancy has fallen to 25% in H1, and is only expected to increase to 30% by YE. 5* hotels have seen the largest decline in occupancy

80 groups representing 80,000 doctors and a million nurses have urged President Duterte to reimpose stricter lockdown in Metro Manila, warning of a collapse in the healthcare system from fast increasing COVID-19 cases as Friday saw the biggest daily jump in cases of 4,603

President Duterte has said that a vaccine is required for COVID-19 before he could draw up a roadmap for the country’s recovery

The Department of Tourism (DOT) has reassured all tourism stakeholders that they have the government’s all-out support after President Duterte called on Filipinos to travel locally and boost the economy

Metro Manila will continue under General Community Quarantine (GCQ) until 15 Aug, and Cebu City will be downgraded to GCQ, too. Bulacan, Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City, Talisay City, Minglanilla, Consolacion, and Zamboanga City are also under GCQ, whilst the rest of the Philippines is under the more relaxed Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ)

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) has had a net loss of 1.596 billion PHP

The wearing of face shields will be imposed as a minimum health standard, in addition to wearing a face mask in Metro Manila and Calabarzon, although a date for implementation has not yet been set. Localised lockdowns will also take place in those areas where 80% of cases are located

Bohol is targeting to reopen tourism by Q4 2020, although this is a “moving target” and subject to which travel bubbles the Philippines negotiates. The areas which would be likely to be reopened include Panglao Island and the Dauis municipality, and the governor has also launched a Unique Bohol Experience (UBE) accreditation program, which will also focus on sustainability. Bohol is expected to receive $62 million USD from the World Bank in Q1 2021 for tourism projects

Cebu province has reopened to domestic tourism, but with certain conditions. Visitors will need to register in advance, make cashless payments and wear an RFID bracelet to help limit the number of visitors and contact tracing. Visitors will be given a refillable water tumbler (disposable water bottles will be banned), and freshly squeezed juice to boost the immune system will welcome guests on arrival. A curfew from 12am – 5am will also be in place

Tourism players should go digital and adopt contactless payments, the DOT has urged. All registered tourism companies will have access to SafePass, a digital contact tracing, health declaration and incident management solution

The DOT has called for tourism players to “think out of the box if we want to go back to business as usual.”

The DOT is seeking support from tourism players to convince LGUs and residents to reopen their destinations to tourists

More businesses will be allowed in MGCQ areas, including live events, museums, tourist destinations, massage parlours and language schools. Gyms, drive-in cinemas will be permitted under GCQ areas from 1 Aug

Cebu has now launched its online booking tourism portal, discover.cebu.gov.ph, where all the tourism activities offered by the province will eventually be available. As of 29 Jul, it had 11 activities listed, and aims to have over 50. Whale shark watching in Oslob will be the first activity to reopen Cebu’s tourism on 31 Jul

Residents of Boracay Island have negatively reacted to new rules which will remove age restrictions for tourists to enter the island and swim in the beach, whilst residents in the same age brackets (below 21 years old and above 60 years old) are still barred. The island had 357 visitors from 1 – 26 Jul

President Duterte in his State of the Nation called on congress to pass the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act

95% of the Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA) members have temporarily closed down their businesses, with 200 employees laid off. Some members are also thinking of permanently closing down

A creation of a travel corridor between Cebu, Bohol, Negros Oriental and Siquijor in Central Visayas is being considered by the provincial governments, with a meeting set to take place on 12 Aug to further discuss the possibility

The Hotel Sales and Marketing Association (HSMA) Philippines will hold an online travel mart, called the September Online Sale, and is asking its members to offer up to 70% discounts at hotel

Private sector investment in Philippines’ tourism grew by 3.6% in 2019, whilst government investment in tourism infrastructure grew by 23.5%

Moody’s Analytics expect the Philippines to lag behind its SE Asian peers in terms of economic recovery, and does not forecast a bounce in Q3 for its economy, unlike other countries in the region

600 tour guides have lost their jobs in Badian, Cebu province, with 20 million PHP lost in revenues from tourism in total in the town. Famous for its canyoneering, they have set out social distancing measures, including 5 guests per group, 10 mins gaps between groups and online bookings

The Department of Tourism (DOT) are asking for cooperation from local government units (LGUs) and the private sector to digitise tourism-related data. This would allow the DOT to gather information and analyse recovery faster

The Western Visayas, an area heavily reliant on tourism, will need 380 billion PHP for rehabilitation and recovery of the region, which would be implemented from 2020 to 2023. Tourism in Q1 fell by more than half from 1,020,306 to 453,347 visitors, and the state government does not see much tourism activity, even in Q4

Non-essential overseas travel for Filipinos is once again suspended, and only those with plane tickets confirmed as of 20 Jul will be allowed to continue their trips, as only one travel insurance agency has agreed to provide the insurance required by government guidelines

A national tourism congress made up of government officials as well as major tourism players has been mooted by Rajah Tours Intl. This congress could then guide the government’s Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) in their decisions. They also said that a “crisis fund” would be essential to support SMEs

The age limits for visitors to Boracay island have now been lifted in a move to stimulate travellers, but only Western Visayas residents are still permitted to visit the island

2,000 hotel rooms have been booked by the government in Manila as isolation areas as the temporary health centres are near capacity already

The Bayanihan to Recover As One bill will be certified as urgent by Duterte. It is expected to be included in his State of the Nation address on 27 Jul

The Asian Development Bank believes there will be a soft rebound of the economy in H2, but not enough to ensure 2020 returns to growth. They also project that unemployment could reach 22% in Jun

The requirement to have RT-PCR swab tests for pax prior to flying to Davao has been rescinded – instead pax who do not have a test prior to departure will need to have a test upon exit of Davao airport. The testing on arrival will be free of charge, but results may take up to 24 hours

The DOT has estimated that tourism revenue dropped to 81 billion PHP in H1 from 2019’s 243 billion PHP, a 66% decline

A joint survey of tourism players from across the industry undertaken by PwC and the DOT in May revealed: • 97% say COVID-19 has the potential for significant impact on their business and is causing great concern • Top concerns included: financial and operational impact (86%), decline in tourism demand (76%) and decrease in tourism confidence (70%) • 78% have temporarily stopped offering their product/ service due to current restrictions • 43% have reduced employee headcount • 88% expected losses of over 50% in their 2020 revenue • 63% expect their businesses to normalise within 6-12 months, whilst 21% expect it to normalise after 12 months • 78% of respondents said they need up to 5 million PHP in additional funds to help operations, with 73% expecting to obtain help from government grants/ subsidies • The majority of businesses can only sustain their operations and cash for up to 6 months • 79% expect international tourist arrivals to decline by over 50% in 2020

The Cebu Governor has said that waterfalls, one of the top tourism attractions in the province, will be just for sightseeing, not swimming. The regulations for tourism reopening are still being drafted, and the first visitors allowed will be from within the province itself

The International Institute of Finance has said that smaller and medium sized travel firms in the Philippines may find it harder to survive than larger enterprises

The Baguio mayor hopes to reopen tourism businesses soon. They are looking at adopting “new normal” practices such as touchless transaction and services, with payment via QR codes. They have also proposed an inter-travel tourism bubble with domestic tourists in North Luzon province

Foreign nationals with long-term visas in the Philippines will be allowed entry from 1 Aug. They must pre-book accredited quarantine facilities, as well as pre-book a COVID test provider

The government is encouraging Western Visayas residents to visit Boracay after having few visitors since reopening

The National Capital Region (NCR) of Manila will remain under General Community Quarantine (GCQ) status, whilst Cebu City will be downgraded to Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) from 16 Jul – 31 Jul. However, Manila has been warned that should numbers continue to rise that they will be put back under MECQ. Davao City is under MECQ status

MICE is now allowed at 50% capacity under Modified General Community Quarantine. Participants below 21 years and old and above 60 are not allowed to take part. MICE organisers must designate an isolation room or area for unwell persons, and regulations cover the type of seating arrangements for social distancing. Buffets and self-service are still not allowed

The Tourism Promotions Board will waive its membership fees until Dec 2021

Farm tourism will be jointly promoted by the Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation. They will focus on capacity building, marketing and technological development to promote the farm tourism, with select pilot areas

Just 180,000 pax arrived into the Philippines from 16 Mar – 30 Jun, a drop of 96% YoY

There has now been 30,000 permanently displaced workers in Manila as of 1 Jul, a doubling since last month

Cebu province are refining their guidelines for the resumption of tourism businesses. Potential measures will include wearing of face masks, regular disinfection of equipment and no sharing of mouthpieces and diving tubes

Travel agents will be permitted to run temporary businesses from their offices – but once they resume operations, they will need to comply with the DOT standards. The Philippines Travel Agencies Association (PTAA) have confirmed that a majority of its members have started food trading and deliveries

The Tourism Congress of the Philippine have reminded tourism organisations that if they want to receive financial assistance, then they will need to be accredited by the Department of Tourism (DOT)

Critical care capacity for ICU beds is now in the danger zone in Manila as cases continue to rise

Mactan-Cebu International Airport is the first airport in the Philippines to now have its own COVID-19 laboratory which can process 1,500 – 3,000 RT-PCR tests per day

Passengers bound for Cebu on international flights will be required to register online at least 2 days prior to departure

Tourism activities are due to restart in Cebu Province, where most parts are now under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) as of 10 Jul. An executive order is expected for the guidelines for tourism activities on 14 or 15 Jul. Cebu City remains under ECQ

The Department of Tourism has reiterated that domestic tourism will be a “catalyst” to restart the industry

The DOT is creating specific MICE protocols, as well as travel and tours, tour guides, tourist attractions and beaches

Hotel Sales and Marketing Association (HSMA) members have refunded customers close to 30 million PHP for hotel cancellations. Philippine Airlines has also appealed for understanding for the slow refund process as they are dealing with “more than a million affected customers”. Cebu Pacific have also reassured customers that they are doing all they can to refund customers

Leisure travellers are still not permitted to visit tourism sites in Central Luzon, as the majority of destinations prefer to restart for their own residents first

The Philippines Travel Agencies Association (PTAA) has appealed for the public to understand that they are unable to issue refunds, despite the government allowing agents to reopen under GCQ areas. “Travel agents still cannot generate income to sustain even minimal skeletal operations without travel demand and with zero revenues. Please understand why we choose to have our offices remain closed,” they stated

H1 foreign arrivals reached only 1.32 million, 68.1% down YoY. June arrivals were expected to remain at zero. Revenue for H1 has also dropped 66.7% YoY to 81.05 billion PHP

El Nido will reopen on 6 Jul as a test for a Palawan-wide reopening of domestic tourism activities. Travellers must travel from an MECQ area point-to-point directly from Clark with AirSwift, as well as have COVID-19 negative test results valid from 48hrs of departure

Baguio Tourism Councol has approved a resolution with 6 million PHP worth of tourism projects to revitalise the destination

50 hotels and accommodation have reopened in Ilocos Norte

Just 81 tourists arrived on Boracay between 16-30 Jun. Kalibo resumed its first regular scheduled flight to Manila on 2 Jul. Caticlan airport, the nearest airport to Boracay, remains closed

Religious gatherings of 10% of venue capacity will be allowed to open under GCQ areas. Football and basketball practices for professional players will also be allowed

The Philippines will enter a 2nd phase of the national plan to contain COVID-19, which will include prevent-detect-isolate-treat-reintegrate and zoning strategies. It will also continue to manage the movement of returning Filipinos and local travellers

The Department of Tourism (DOT) is looking to reopen 3 Palawan tourist destinations, including El Nido, Coron and San Vicente. They have recorded a loss of 3.1 billion PHP losses from Mar – Jun, with 14,000 tourism workers affected. El Nido would be a test case, with tourists who wish to visit needing to present negative test results before travelling

8 more airports are reopening for commercial flights in the Philippines: Busuanga, Tacloban, Ormoc, Catbalogan, Catarman, Borongan and Surigao

Travel agencies are now allowed to operate in GCQ areas, but must only use a skeleton workforce to do administrative tasks

The ban on foreign nationals to the Philippines will remain in place, even for those for will come to the Philippines to work

150 independent and MSME hotel owners have joined together to support one another whilst they await the approval of the tourism fiscal support bill. The Association of Travel and Tour Agencies in Calabarzon said around 80% of its members have switched to selling produce to survive

The Philippines could lose up to $22.64 billion USD, equivalent to 7% of its GDP, if tourism does not resume for 12 months according to a report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. A 12-month stopping would also mean a drop in skilled workers wages of 8%, and unskilled workers 10%. The Tourism Congress of the Philippines only expects limited resumption of domestic tourism in Sep

A senator who is the chair of the tourism committee has said that the Philippines is not ready yet to accept foreign tourists from low-risk countries, as the test-trace-treat efforts have not been perfected

Travelbook.ph, an OTA, will close down, with its last day of operations 15 Jul

Cebu province will be focusing on reviving tourism in the region as the area has been relaxed to a modified general community quarantine (MGCQ), despite Cebu city being under a strict ECQ

Cebu City will remain under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) and Manila under general community quarantine (GCQ), as their statuses are extended from 30 Jun to 15 Jul

The “Philippine Travel Survey” run by the Department of Tourism (DOT) had the following outbound travel insights: • Only 26% of respondents expect to travel within 6 months • 37% plan to travel to East Asia (China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau • 30% plan to travel to the ASEAN region

The “Philippine Travel Survey” run by the Department of Tourism (DOT) had the following domestic travel insights: • 77% of respondents are willing to travel domestically, with 48% expecting to travel within 6 months • 44% foresee a reduction in travel budgets • Safety remains the top concern for travellers • 40% feel that joining a shared/ group tour is “very unsafe”, whilst 34% felt attending a convention or conference is • Once restrictions are lifted, 69% are planning to go to the beach, 54% take a roadtrip and 41% go on a staycation • 80% prefer to book holiday components separately • The top 10 domestic destinations respondents are planning to travel to once restrictions are lifted include: Boracay, Siargao, Baguio, Manila, Cebu, El Nido, Coron, Batangas, Bohol and La Union

Tour operators and hoteliers in the Philippines want greater clarity, asking for better coordination between the DOT and local government (LGUs). Changing guidelines and different implement in each destination is causing headaches and developing new products is nearly impossible in the shifting market

Farm tourism could be a new trend post-pandemic, with the Philippine Farm Tourism Development Association saying that they expect more local tourists

The reactivation of tourist police units has been welcomed by the Department of Tourism (DOT) to help enforce health protocols in areas under modified general community quarantine

Once quarantine restrictions have been eased to modified general community quarantine (MCGQ), business travellers from other countries may be allowed to enter

More provinces have closed their borders again to stranded residents

Further easing of restriction in areas under general community quarantine (GCQ) has been allowed, including new guidelines on restaurant and cafes in accommodation establishments being able to operate at 30% capacity. Other guidelines are expected to be announced on 29 Jun

144 tourism businesses in Bicol have resumed, and the Department of Tourism (DOT) is using social media platforms to revive interest in Bicol

The government is looking at boosting moto-tourism, with the DOT mapping out a campaign, including asking hotels, restaurants and other establishments that bike riders frequent to provide travel kits to allow bikers to maintain good hygiene, promoting biker-friendly hotels and rolling out an app to promote remoter areas

Accommodation providers in Clark are able to operate at 50% capacity now that the area is under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ)

Domestic airlines continue to refuse refunds to Filipino travel agents, with airlines insisting on giving credit into a “travel fund” instead. Travel agents are unhappy with this system, which they consider to be interest-free financing for airlines, and also prevents them from accessing the cash to survive. They suggest instead that the government use some of 58 billion PHP stimulus package to be a revolving fund that reimburses airline refunds

Despite opening on 16 Jun, between 16-22 Jun just 48 tourists visited Boracay, with the biggest single day on 20 Jun with 19 tourists. The Malay Mayor has said that tourists are afraid to visit the island after the report that a COVID-19 positive person had visited the island from 12-14 Jun

The Philippine Red Cross is setting up testing centres in Boracay, Bohol, Palawan and Siargao to increase tourists’ confidence that tourism workers are clear of COVID-19, as well as speed up testing processes on arrival

Duty Free Philippines have postponed their plan to close stores in provinces, as they have seen an “opportunity and a small window of hope for improvement”

43% of Filipinos expect their life to worsen in the next 12 months according to a new survey, a new high in the 37-year history of the survey

428 accommodation establishments in Ilocos Region have been given permission to reopen

The government has formed a panel to decide on the possible entry of more foreigners to the country after an appeal by a foreign embassy to allow workers into key infrastructure projects, and permanent resident visa holders

Baguio may open to travellers by September, accepting around 50,000 visitors initially, 10% of its capacity

Statistics for tourism arrivals in 2019 have shown that tourism contributed 12.9% to Philippines 2019 GDP, a 10.8% increase from 2018. It also showed that tourism employed 5.71 million workers in 2019. Domestic tourism spend also grew from 2.85 trillion PHP in 2018, to 3.14 trillion PHP in 2019

Google x Trip.com have revealed that the Philippines is #19 for APAC travellers’ next phase destinations, with Manila coming in the top 20 short haul getaway destinations

The Hundred Islands National Park will reopen to tourists at 50% capacity. Initially, city residents will only be accepted, before gradually expanding to regional tourists

Some tourism destinations in Davao region have reopened, catering to only local tourists as travellers outside Davao are not yet permitted to enter the region. The establishments which have opened must keep to 50% capacity and fill out forms on health status

International flights are likely to resume as late as Sep, the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand has stated – in part, because of airlines’ reluctance to restart due to uncertainty of travel policies

The Department of Tourism (DOT) will discuss if Boracay can be opened up to Filipino domestic tourists other than from Western Visayas over the next 2 weeks. The statement comes after a controversy of a COVID-19 positive fire bureau personnel who stayed on the island before her results were released

Some local governments (LGUs) remain hesitant about reopening to tourism due to safety concerns. The Department of Tourism (DOT) is assisting them with protocols to give them confidence to be able to reopen

The General Community Quarantine (GCQ) has been extended in Metro Manila. Cebu City has been put back onto the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), the highest restriction, until 30 Jun

A Domestic Travel Sentiment Survey has shown that: • 29% of respondents want to travel within 1-3 months and 61% in 6-12 months • Travelers still prefer to book directly with hotels and airlines, stay at 3* and 4* hotel and have an average budget of 1,000-3,000 PHP • The age group 26 – 55 years old will be the first groups to travel domestically • 69% prefer to travel by air • Top travel destinations were Boracay (14%), Palawan (12%), Other Luzon (9%), Cebu (8%), Baguio (8%), Manila (6%), Bohol (5%), Tagayatay (5%), Other Visayas (5%) and Batangas (4%) • 66% of respondents have experienced pay cuts, resulting in a 10-80% reduction in income

The GCQ in Bohol has been extended until 30 Jun

The Hotel Resort Restaurant Association of Cebu (HRRAC) has reported that 43% of its members have suspended operations, resulting in a loss of jobs

Duterte will decide on 15 Jun whether to extend the general community quarantine (GCQ) in Metro Manila and Cebu City, or to increase the restrictions back to modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ)

Passengers who want to travel domestically by air or sea must provide a medical certificate stating that they are COVID-free before they can received a travel permit (travel authority). Travel authorities are granted by the local police chiefs and station commanders

The DOT is boosting its digital campaigns with “Wake up in the Philippines”, encouraging tourists to stay home now to be able to travel later. They have also launched a microsite giving answers on safety in the Philippines with FAQs

11 airports have reopened since 4 Jun – however, many airports are still not allowed to reopen

The Department of Tourism (DOT) have said that one of the greatest challenges is to make people feel safe when travelling. They are considering “travel bubbles” between the ASEAN market and Bohol and Boracay

The Board of Investments have approved fiscal measures for tourism businesses who want to upgrade their facilities. This would include an income tax holiday for 3 years. Upgrades which would qualify are renovations of guest rooms, hygiene gates, thermal scanners, mobile check-in systems and non-touch control panels, amongst others. Meanwhile, the AirAsia Philippines President said that they had optimism that “vacation activities” will start by Jul or Aug and that they see international tourism resuming by Sep or Oct

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas has said that they expect tourism receipts to reduce by 56.9% vs. 2019. Prior to COVID-19, it was expected to grow by 12% in 2020. Their 2021 estimate is a 15% growth

Boracay Island is now open for domestic tourists between 21 – 59 years old, from Western Visayas under Phase 1 of reopening on 16 Jun. Once zero COVID cases have been reported after a month, the age restrictions on entering Boracay will be eased. Caticlan and Kalibo airports will continue to be closed to commercial flights. Data from tourism arrivals has shown that between 17 Mar to 28 May, Boracay has lost 14.23 billion PHP in tourism receipts

Coron has reopened for domestic tourism, allowing local travellers on regulated tours. Reopening domestic flights to Puerto Princesa is still under discussion

The cruise and tour operator, Sun Cruises, has announced it is closing down after 30 years in the business. It operated routes to Corregidor

The government expects to allow more businesses, including travel agents, tour operators, water parks, beaches and resorts to be able to open at 50% in areas under Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ) from next week

The Philippines is looking at the Middle East as a potential inbound market, and that they plan to promote nature and remote islands

The DOT will roll out a campaign for domestic tourism with a focus on niche markets, including health and wellness, farm, dive, and community-based experiences

Experts suggest that travel corridors between islands in the Philippines itself could be a targeted way to boost domestic tourism

Tourism arrivals in Jan-May dropped 62.2%, and revenue by 60.6% according to the Department of Tourism (DOT)

The DOT will target getting “high-value” tourists, and that quantity of tourists will no longer be a focus. Baguio City is only looking at opening the city by Sep, and Bohol July to tourists. The DOT are also launching digital tourism, with online training

A think tank has said that the government’s tourism recovery plan should include helping tourism companies to pivot out of the industry given the “longer period of recovery that may likely happen”

Swimming is allowed on Boracay, but only for local residents

No decisions have been made yet on lifting inbound travel restrictions, the government has said

81% of tourism companies in the Philippines hiring a combined 222,424 workers were closed temporarily during the lockdown, whilst the remaining 19% have flexi arrangements

The Department of Tourism (DOT) stressed that travel for tourism can only be done between areas under MGCQ (modified general community quarantine), and still subject to local government regulations. Those tourism establishments who are open should be accredited with a Certificate of Authority to Operate from the DOT

The DOT will assist more tourism businesses to be digitised to keep operations running

Bohol and Baguio are being considered pilot areas for reopening of tourism’s “new normal”

The Philippines Tour Operators Association (PHILTOA) are optimistic and are scheduling events to jumpstart domestic tourism. They are planning a virtual Philippines Travel Mart in Oct, and a physical event in Dec

Hotels in modified General Community Quarantine (GCQ) will be permitted to reopen at 50% capacity, including the opening of their restaurants, bars, gyms and spas

Metro Manila will be downgraded to General Community Quarantine (GCQ) from 1 Jun. The rest of the country will be under a modified GCQ

Tourism arrivals to Davao have dropped by 50% in Q1 YoY. The local tourism department have been providing training on farm-tourism amongst others, to bounce back

500,000 tourism workers have now benefited from the wage subsidy program, with a total of 4.3 billion PHP distributed in the first tranche

The government started making the payouts for the second tranche of the Small Business Wage Subsidy

International arrivals are down 54% from Jan-Apr YoY to just 1.32 million, with tourism receipts down 56% to 79.8 PHP billion. The House of Representatives also passed a bill allocating 58 billion PHP to support the Department of Tourism’s Response and Recovery Program. These funds will be used for: • Providing interest-free loans or loan guarantees up to five years for maintenance and operating expenses • Credit facilities for upgrading, rehabilitation, or modernization of current establishments to be compliant with new health and safety standards • Marketing and product development promotions and programs • Grants for education, training, and advising for tourism stakeholders for new normal alternative livelihood programs • Utilization of information technology for the improvement of tourism services • Development of a tourist tracking system for emergency response and • Establishment of spatial database to improve planning capacity