‘FORBES’ DUBS PHL ‘RISING STAR’ TOURIST SITE POST-PANDEMIC

THE Philippines was dubbed a “rising star” along with six other countries expected to win major tourist attention after the Covid-19 pandemic eases. In a piece for Forbes published on May 31, 2020, titled “Rising Stars in Travel: These 7 Countries Have Potential To Become Major Tourist Destinations in a Post-covid World,” writer Jared Ranahan listed the Philippines along with Ethiopia, Iran, Myanmar, Georgia, Slovenia and Tunisia.

Of the Philippines he said, “With roughly 7,500 islands to choose from, this massive archipelago has something to offer even the most finicky of tourists. The northernmost island, Luzon, is home to Metro Manila, a truly massive metropolis consisting of 16 cities—the national capital of Manila and the country’s most populous settlement, Quezon City, are two most popular destinations for a deep immersion into mainstream Filipino culture.”

He added. “Those planning to lounge on the sandy shores should head to Visayas, the country’s central archipelago, where island destinations like Palawan and Boracay offer some of the nation’s finest white-sand beaches, as well as countless opportunities to spot some of the endemic plant and animal species of the Philippines.”

The recognition doesn’t at all surprise Tourism Attaché in London Gerard O. Panga, who has long been promoting the Philippines in the UK and other European countries. In a Facebook message, he told the Businessmirror, “It’s a big vote of confidence for us…. Many Europeans are raring to travel once the green signal is on for international travel. We’ll get more interest for long-haul beach holiday makers for the winter season, especially if the Europeans are not able to travel overseas this summer.” The summer season in the UK is from June to August, while winter is from December to February.

He underscored that arrivals in the Philippines from the UK “still grew by 4 percent last year despite the Brexit.” Arrivals from the UK were recorded at 209,206, making the country the eighth top source of tourists for the Philippines, compared to other Southeast Asian countries which rank the UK anywhere from ninth to 13th place in terms as a source for inbound travelers, he added. “It’s not bad for us although it’s a lower volume since we also have the lowest direct air seat supply among [Southeast Asia] except Cambodia,” Panga noted.

This was echoed by Philippine Airlines President Gilbert Santa Maria in a recent webinar on tourism, where he said the carrier was already receiving a lot of inquiries from UK citizens on “when can I fly to the beach?”

(See, “We will survive,” in the Businessmirror, May 16, 2020.)

Panga pointed out that the Philippines is likewise a top destination for Spaniards and Italians. “We were having good

trade support and consumer traffic [from them], that’s why I wish this Covid-19 ends.” In 2019, visitors from Spain grew by 12.72 percent to some 50,000, while those from Italy rose by 10.7 percent to about 39,000.

The Philippines received some 8.26 million international tourists in 2019, up 15.24 percent from the previous year. Despite Covid-19, the Department of Tourism continues to promote the Philippines to its markets abroad via social media with its #Wakeupinph ad.

(See, “DOT soft sells PHL with new ‘dream’ ad,” in the Businessmirror, April 27, 2020.)