Medical and wellness tour packages targeted at foreign travellers have been rolled out in metro Manila and nearby provinces, as part of the Philippine Health and Care Programme launched this week.
Tourism undersecretary Roberto Alabado III said the programme, a collaboration between government agencies and the private sector, is an industry-first that aims “to develop the Philippines into a prime medical travel and wellness tourism destination”.
While the tour packages are initially limited to Central Luzon, Alabado expected similar packages to be rolled out in Boracay, Mindanao and other parts of Luzon as they continue to market and promote the Filipino brand of caring and nurturing in the domestic and international markets. The packages will be made available until December 21 next year.
The Philippine Health and Wellness Coalition has curated several packages combining tours around Manila with dental procedures and medical services, ranging from heart ailment procedure and kidney operation to cancer treatment and diabetes prevention, among others.
The coalition – composed of carefully screened travel agencies, hotels, hospitals, clinics, and health and wellness providers – underscored the competitive pricing of their packages that already include all taxes, confirmation of appointments and advance submission of medical records.
Cathy Brillantes-Turvill, president of Coalition member Nurture Wellness Village in Tagaytay, said one of their offerings, a workation package combining nature and Zoom, addresses the physical and mental effects caused by the pandemic and that the sector is “all about prevention”.
Another Coalition member, The Farm at San Benito in Lipa, Batangas, has invested more in science-based, evidence-guided and medically-supervised health programmes by highly trained medical doctors and licensed health professionals, said director of sales and marketing Jennifer Sanvictores.
Tourism regional director for Region 3, Caroline Uy, shared that medical tour packages including eye care combined with culinary, heritage, history and adventure tours are on offer in Pampanga, Clark and Subic.
The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) of the United Nations has spoken out against new blanket restrictions on travel imposed by governments around the world in response to the Omicron variant.
The call echoes the concerns raised by UNWTO members during the recent 24th UNWTO General Assembly, where countries from all global regions expressed their solidarity with Southern African states by calling for the immediate lifting of travel bans imposed on specific countries and for freedom of international travel to be upheld.
UNWTO noted the recent declarations of the United Nations secretary-general and the director general of the World Health Organization (WHO) regarding the unfairness and ineffectiveness of blanket travel bans in respect to the countries of Southern Africa.
In light of recent developments, UNWTO has once again reminded countries that the imposition of blanket restrictions on travel is discriminatory, ineffective and contrary to WHO recommendations. Blanket restrictions may also stigmatise countries or whole regions, it said.
During the UNWTO General Assembly, member states and partners, including voices from international organisations and across the private sector, echoed WHO’s advice that travel restrictions should only be imposed as a very last resort in response to changing circumstances.
Furthermore, it was stressed that if restrictions are introduced, they must be proportionate, transparent, and scientifically-based. They must also only be introduced with a full appreciation of what halting international travel would mean for the most vulnerable, including those developing countries and individuals who depend on tourism for their economies and livelihoods.