Tourism secretary touts Philippines for Korean tourists

Mayon Volcano, the Philippines / Courtesy of Philippine Department of Tourism

By Lee Hae-rin

Philippines awaits international travelers with enhanced safety measures

On April 1, the Philippines will reopen its borders, removing all quarantine restrictions to fully vaccinated international travelers on arrival.

The country had initially opened its borders on Feb. 10 to vaccinated international travelers from 157 visa-free countries, including Korea, and has since seen an influx of over 150,000 visitors.

Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, secretary of the Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT), is excited because the domestic coronavirus caseloads have been falling despite the resumption of international tourism.

Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, secretary of the Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT) / Courtesy of DOT

"In the whole Philippines, we only had about 300 cases yesterday (Monday). We're fully vaccinated, boosted and I think that's the reason why our cases are continuing to go down even though we opened borders in February," she said in an interview with The Korea Times in Seoul on Tuesday.

She noted that the purpose of her visit to the country's capital was to introduce the Philippines' enhanced protection measures in order to reopen the tourist economy and personally invite Korean travelers back.

"Health and safety are our number one priority," the secretary said on the joint efforts of the government units, partner agencies and tourism stakeholders geared toward the industry's recovery.

In 2019, tourism contributed 12.8 percent of the country's GDP, while over 5.7 million Filipinos were employed in the industry. After the pandemic, she said, the figure decreased to 5.4 percent, and 1.1 million jobs were affected.

Due to the high vaccination rate and strict safety protocols, the country was not hit hard by the highly transmissible Omicron variant and took only three weeks for the wave of infections to pass. The country was given a SafeTravels Stamp from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) for its high health standards.

"To enter the Philippines, all you need is to be fully vaccinated, possess a negative PCR result 48 hours before departure and travel insurance. When you arrive, there will be no quarantine, no more test procedures," the secretary said.

Banaue Rice Terraces, the Philippines / Courtesy of Philippine Department of Tourism

Unvaccinated travelers aged 12 and under can enter the country with their vaccinated parents, while booster shots of all brands are available at local drug stores for tourists with vaccination certificates, the DOT officials explained. Korea and the Philippines have mutual vaccination certificate recognition agreements.

The country's health and safety measures also include physical security and tourist-targeted crimes.

"In coordination with the Philippine National Police, we have activated Tourist-Oriented Police (TOP) to make sure that people feel safe in our tourist destinations," the secretary said. "They don't wear police outfits, because we don't want them to look scary. They look like tourists themselves, wearing bermuda shorts and shades." Over 5,000 personnel are ready to provide help to foreign travelers.

Koreans account for the lion's share in regards to the Philippines' tourism industry, with 24.28 percent of total foreign visitors in 2017. Over 1.33 million Koreans traveled to the Southeast Asian country that year alone. The number continued to rise and almost reached 2 million in 2019 right before the pandemic hit.

The Philippines has been one of the most popular tourist destination for Koreans as the country is geographically close by and offers exotic landscapes and attractions at reasonable prices.

However, security has been a major concern, as assaults against Korean travelers and residents have been reported. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a yearly average of about 1,000 Koreans were subject to crimes and assaults in the Philippines from 2015 to 2019.

She said that the Philippines also aims to develop and establish "sustainable tourism practices," both in environmental and economic aspects. All tourism-related activities adhere to the environmental laws while trying to create a virtuous cycle of returning profits to locals.

A whale shark and a diver swim together in Donsol, the Philippines. Courtesy of Philippine Department of Tourism

In comparison to the pre-pandemic era, the country is ready to offer more undiscovered and less crowded treasures from its 7,631 islands, apart from Korean's to-go destinations like Cebu, Boracay and Bohol, the secretary said.

"At the height of the pandemic, I went across the country looking for all these destinations that tourists can go to," she said, naming Siquijor, which was like Boracay before it became popular, and Mount Mayon, an active volcano located near unspoiled white sand beaches.

In lesser-known and signature tourist destinations alike, visitors will experience Filipino hospitality and feel at home, the secretary said.

During the start of the pandemic, the country operated sweeper flights to bring stranded tourists safely back to the airport and leave no foreign visitors behind. The joint effort by the government, military and local government units was appreciated by international travelers, while a large number of them refused to go home, wishing to remain in the Philippine paradise rather than returning home to lockdowns.

"That's how Filipinos are. We are very hospitable and like to help others. We're not happy if our guests are not happy," the secretary said. "A tourist will never feel lost in our country."

Under the theme "Rediscovering Travel," Manila will host the 21st WTTC Global Summit from April 20 to 22 to discuss the industry's emergence from the pandemic.

"The WTTC Global Summit is widely considered the most influential event for travel and tourism professionals, stakeholders and government representatives, with at least 650 key industry leaders expected to attend," she said.

A greater dynamic among participants is expected at this year's face-to-face exchange, after several participants including the Philippines participated online at last year's event in Cancun.

"Like our campaign slogan says, 'It's more fun with you.' The Philippines is a safe, fun and competitive destination and we miss having you," the secretary said, referring to the department's online campaign to boost tourism.