A SUCCESSFUL year-long campaign in 2015 has inspired the Philippines’ Department of Tourism (DoT) to extend another year of welcome to overseas travellers.
The Visit the Philippines Again (VPA) 2016 campaign will focus on travellers, especially those who have had a great time in the destination before, with lures being exclusive travel deals, discounted air fares and hotel stays.
Explaining the campaign’s extension, Gerard Panga, tourism attache, Market Development Group of the DoT, said: “It is to continue the momentum that we are having, despite challenges in the region. We are still seeing a good increase of eight per cent in arrivals, so we are on target to hit 5.2 million footfalls for 2015.”
Tourism data shows 2.6 million tourist arrivals in 1H2015, with most coming from North Asia such as South Korea and Japan.
China, in particular, registered strong growth of 59 per cent month-on-month in July after the Chinese government did away with its travel ban on the Philippines.
“Tour groups have started to pour in. At the moment, we have 14 direct flights to destinations such as Boracay and Cebu from all over China,” Panga said.
DoT’s decision to boost tourism through repeat travellers is based on findings that 60 per cent of visitors to the Philippines have toured the country before.
The tourism board also intends to drum up interest among specific groups of travellers with its array of events next year. Such events include the ASEAN Tourism Forum and Routes Asia 2016 for business people; Madrid Fusion Manila 2016 for foodies; and 2016 Ironman 70 for music and concert lovers.
Supporting the DoT’s tourism goals, the government will address a route development programme to encourage more flights into the country and lower the barrier of entry for foreign visitors.
Panga said: “Last year we came up with a policy allowing Indian passport holders with (visas from) the US, Japan, Australia, Schengen states and the UK to visit the Philippines and stay for seven days, extendible to 21 days, without a visa.”
This has resulted in a 27 per cent increase in Indian arrivals so far, he said.
Read more in TTG-PATA Travel Mart 2015 Show Daily.
