Travel and Tourism
Remembering the dead in Camiguin’s sunken cemetery
October 30, 2018, 7:56 pm
CAMIGUIN -- As All Saints’ Day (November 1) approaches, Filipino families flock to cemeteries to tidy up their loved ones' tombstones, most of them with karit (sickle) on one hand and a walis (broom) on the other -- to cut overgrown grass, sweep, and later pray and reflect on the memory of… Read More
PH needs to raise Boracay tourism income, not arrivals
October 28, 2018, 7:42 pm
MANILA -- The economy still stands to benefit from regulating the number of tourists on the world-famous Boracay Island by expanding its tourism offerings, according to the regional development unit of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA). NEDA Undersecretary for Regional… Read More
Sept. 2018 arrivals up by 6.76%
October 25, 2018, 4:35 pm
MANILA-- The foreign tourist arrivals to the Philippines in September 2018 is 6.76 percent higher than the same period last year. At least 512,240 international tourists visited the country last month, making the overall arrivals since January this year 4,950,683, or about 8.32 percent higher than… Read More
DOT trains 2k front liners for Boracay reopening
October 24, 2018, 8:45 pm
BORACAY -- The Department of Tourism (DOT) facilitated the training of some 2,100 tourism front line workers in anticipation of Boracay Island’s soft opening on October 26. “Since the island's temporary closure, we have been providing free training for our front liners or the ones who will… Read More
First PH online tourism portal underway
October 24, 2018, 4:28 pm
MANILA -- The establishment of the first online tourism portal in the Philippines started as Rajah Travel Corporation launched the first phase of its Tourism Knowledge Center after welcoming its first partner from the academe on board. The center, an online portal that will provide relevant and… Read More
Gov't eyes carrying capacity limit of major tourist sites
October 4, 2018, 8:57 pm
MANILA-- With the limited number of tourists entering Boracay Island, the national government is now planning to set a similar carrying capacity limit in other major tourist destinations in the Philippines, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo- Puyat said on Thursday. Romulo-Puyat relayed President… Read More
Online travel booking apps vow to share stats with DOT, PSA
October 2, 2018, 5:33 pm
MANILA -- Online travel booking companies on Tuesday committed to partner with the Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) in providing them travel and tourism statistics allowed for sharing. During the 29th National Statistics Month reception in Pasay City,… Read More
PH among world's top 15 travel, tourism powerhouses: WTTC
September 27, 2018, 6:28 pm
MANILA -- Out of 185 countries, the Philippines ranked 13th among the top 15 tourism powerhouses that recorded "absolute growth" within the last seven years. The Philippines' ranking was identified in the 2018 World Travel & Tourism Council's (WTTC) "Power and Performance Report," wherein 185… Read More
Better condition, core of 'more fun in PH' drive
September 26, 2018, 6:14 pm
MANILA-- Potential tourists from Hong Kong were assured that improving the general condition of the Philippines is encompassed in the government's "It's more fun in the Philippines" campaign. "Tourism promotion, particularly rural tourism, is an important mission of President Rodrigo Duterte and… Read More
Gov't markets PH as major diving hub in Asia
September 9, 2018, 11:39 am
MANILA -- The Department of Tourism (DOT) is currently marketing the Philippines as an ideal diving hub in Asia by highlighting its numerous dive spots for beginners and professional divers who are inclined to underwater photography. "Part of our commitment is to make sure that we promote the… Read More
Largest dive expo in PH opens in Manila
September 7, 2018, 7:19 pm
MANILA-- The Diving Resort and Travel (DRT) Show 2018, dubbed as the largest dive exposition in the Philippines, opened at the SM Megamall Megatrade Hall on Friday. The DRT Show is held in seven cities every year and is considered as the "most important event" in the Philippine diving industry,… Read More
TIEZA gets regulatory powers over Boracay water concessionaires
September 7, 2018, 4:13 pm
MANILA -- The Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) gets the sole and exclusive right to regulate all utilities on world-famous Boracay Island and other tourist zones. Citing a Sept. 5 ruling from the Office of the President (OP), TIEZA said the previous decision of the… Read More
DOT releases initial list of Boracay hotels ready for opening
September 1, 2018, 12:58 pm
MANILA -- The Department of Tourism (DOT) on Friday announced that an initial 2,063 hotel rooms are ready for next month’s reopening of Boracay. In its Boracay Bulletin dated Aug. 31, 2018, the department listed 25 hotels and resorts that have complied with the permits and clearances from the… Read More
Purely Filipino travel, trade expo opens in Taguig
August 24, 2018, 8:42 pm
MANILA-- A purely Philippine-travel and trade expo opened on Friday at the Central Square Mall, Taguig City where local tourist destinations, farm tours and Filipino-made products are showcased for a three-day sale. Department of Tourism (DOT) Undersecretary Benito Bengzon Jr. said the exhibition… Read More
Not all parties, events banned in Boracay: DOT exec
August 24, 2018, 6:45 pm
MANILA-- Department of Tourism (DOT) Undersecretary Benito Bengzon Jr. on Friday said not all parties in Boracay will be banned. "Sa ngayon, ang tinitignan namin is doon sa beach area lang (Currently, we are looking at restricting (party-activities) in the beach area)," he told reporters in an… Read More
Jan-July '18 tourist arrivals grow by 9.74%
August 23, 2018, 2:29 pm
MANILA -- Tourist arrivals in the first seven months of the year increased by 9.74 percent to 4.3 million visitors compared to 3.92 million in the same period last year, the Department of Tourism (DOT) reported Thursday. In July alone, visitors tallied 601,322, posting a growth rate of 5.86… Read More
Boracay to emerge as 'peaceful, sustainable' island destination
August 22, 2018, 4:16 pm
MANILA -- The government wants the rehabilitated Boracay to be known as a "peaceful" and "sustainable" tourist site, deviating from its usual party island image, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said on Wednesday. "Definitely it won't be like a really party place anymore, it will be… Read More
DOT targets 5k Boracay hotel rooms ready on Oct. 26
August 21, 2018, 2:31 pm
MANILA -- The Department of Tourism (DOT) targets to have at least 5,000 Boracay hotel and resort rooms opened on October 26. "Our target really is to have 5,000 rooms to be opened by October 26," DOT Undersecretary Arturo Boncato said during a Senate hearing on Monday. "The strategy is for us to… Read More
DOT apologizes to tourists affected by NAIA runway mishap
August 21, 2018, 12:51 pm
MANILA -- The Department of Tourism (DOT) has apologized to local and foreign tourists affected by the flight cancellations and delays at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) after a Xiamen Air passenger aircraft figured in a runway mishap on Aug. 16. In a press statement issued Tuesday,… Read More
DOT sees October 26 as fixed Boracay reopening date
August 12, 2018, 10:54 am
MANILA -- While rehabilitation efforts in Boracay are continuous, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat does not hint a possible extension and still sees October 26 as the fixed date for the island's reopening. In an interview with reporters, Puyat said efforts to bring back its pristine… Read More
