Chartered flights to connect Guangxi province to Davao, Cebu and Clark are the latest in a series of new services mounted in support of the Philippines’ target for one million Chinese tourists this year, nearly 50 per cent higher than 675,000 in 2016.
The new charter flights, resulting from a deal between the Department of Tourism (DoT) and Guangxi Tourism Development Group, are expected to tap the city’s population of 55 million as well as “open up secondary gateways in the Philippines” to China, according to the Philippines’ tourism secretary Wanda Tulfo-Teo.
Nanning city, Guangxi
Erwin Balane, routes development head at DoT, said “nearly all Chinese carriers (now) fly to and from the Philippines”, owing to improved political relations between Manila and Beijing since mid-2016.
As well, “more China-based airlines are launching commercial flights and more charter flights are being converted into (scheduled ones)”, he shared.
This month, Xiamen Airlines will add two new regular routes to Kalibo from Xiamen and Fuzhou, with other airlines expected to follow suit. Sichuan Airlines and Shenzhen Airlines are anticipated to soon fly to the destination while Juneyao Airlines has applied to fly to Cebu from Shanghai.
Balane said DoT will also be courting West Air in Chongqing, Chongqing Airlines, Kunming Airlines and Lucky Air.
New destinations will be opened, Balane added, including the expanded airport in Kalibo – the gateway to Boracay, a favourite haunt among the Chinese – which can now accommodate bigger aircraft like Airbus A320.
Meanwhile, tour operator Sun Fair International, which has offices in Xiamen and Hong Kong, has already committed additional 10,000 Chinese tourists coming from the cities of Shanghai, Xiamen, Chongqing, Chengdu, Hong Kong and Beijing, starting this month.
