PHL hotels, cities awarded at Asean Tourism Forum
T HE Philippines received high honors at the ongoing Asean Tourism Forum (ATF) in Preah Sihanoukville, Cambodia for its commitment to upholding the highest of tourism standards.
In a news statement, the Department of Tourism (DOT) announced that Nobu Hotel, Nuwa Hotel, Hyatt Regency—all in the City of Dreams— as well as Conrad Manila, all in Pasay, were recognized among the best in the 8th Asean Green Hotel Award for 2022.
Recipients of the 3rd Asean Clean Tourist City Standard Award were Baguio, the Philippines’s traditional summer capital, and Ilagan in the province of Isabela.
For the 3rd Asean MICE Venue Standard Award in the meeting room category, winners were: the Magellan Ballroom of Quest Plus Conference Center in Clark, Pampanga; Forbes Ballroom (Conrad Manila); William Cameron Forbes Ballroom (Baguio Country Club); Mangrove Conference and Convention Center (Astoria Palawan); and the Marriott Grand Ballroom (Clark Marriott Hotel).
In the exhibition venue category of the 3rd Asean MICE Venue Standard Award, honorees were the World Trade Center in Pasay and the Cordillera Convention Hall.
“This recognition of our local cities, and hotels and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Convention, and Exhibition) venues not only serves as a testament to the Philippines’s commitment to uphold the best tourism standards, it also mirrors the strong Bayanihan spirit we have exhibited to overcome this crisis,” said Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat.
She added, “The current health crisis is a bane of the industry. Nevertheless, local tourism offices and our stakeholders aren’t backing down from this. By collaborating to help find solutions, they have proven that they can adapt despite the current limitations on their operations.”
The Philippines, however, failed to receive any honor in the 3rd Asean Sustainable Tourism Award.
Reopen borders—hun Sen
WITH the theme “Asean– A Community of Peace and Shared Future,” the ATF 2022 formally opened on January 18 in a ceremony attended by Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, and Cambodia Tourism Minister Dr. Thong Khon.
In his speech, Hun Sen urged other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) to reopen their borders to international trade and tourism amid the Covid-19 pandemic. “I suggest adopting something similar to what Cambodia is enforcing at its borders: Those who are already vaccinated with two doses just take a rapid test and 15 or 20 minutes later they can leave and travel anywhere in the country. This would reduce the difficulties with travel in Asean.”
Vaccinated visitors have to present a negative RTPCR test result taken 72 hours prior to departure for Cambodia, then take a rapid antigen test upon arrival. If the traveler tests positive for Covid-19, he must take an RT-PCR test, while quarantined in a designated facility. If the result is still positive, the traveler will receive Covid treatment.
“I urge the Asean tourism ministers to declare the full reopening of tourism throughout the region on January 19 from here in Preah Sihanouk province,” said the Prime Minister. As of January 19, there were only 30 new Covid cases recorded in Cambodia. Of the 121,030 recorded cases in the last six months, there were 3,015 deaths, according to the John Hopkins University’s Covid-19 Data Repository.
The Philippines still enforces travel restrictions. Fully vaccinated travelers have to present a negative result from an RT-PCR test taken 48 hours prior to departure. Only arrivals from green list countries may skip a facility-based quarantine. Vaccinated travelers from yellow or red-list countries must quarantine in a hotel upon arrival for a given period.
Held at Sokha Beach Resort, the ATF is being attended by 350 participants from more than 27 countries and regions. These include tourism leaders and officials, international buyers, exhibitors, media as well as trade visitors and travelers from the tourism industry.