VISITOR ARRIVALS amounted to 9,283 as of Feb. 14, following the reopening of the borders to fully vaccinated foreign nationals on Feb. 10, according to the Department of Tourism (DoT).
The DoT said in a statement on Tuesday that the border reopening to fully vaccinated travelers from countries that require no visas to visit the Philippines, with no requirement to quarantine, include 4,209 balikbayans, or returning Filipinos holding foreign nationality, while 5,074 are foreigners.
Of the foreigners, 2,227 are from the US, 661 from Canada, 404 from, Australia, 344 from the UK, 189 from South Korea, 169 from Japan, and 168 from Germany.
Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said the DoT is expecting a gradual recovery in tourist numbers, which in turn will aid in the recovery of the domestic travel industry.
“International travel and tourism saw an unprecedented decline in visitor arrivals amid the pandemic; the reopening of Philippines’ borders to visitors from visa-free countries will surely help in improving our numbers,” Ms. Puyat said.
Separately, the DoT said 323,206 or 93.09% of workers in the tourism sector were fully vaccinated against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as of Feb. 11.
Of the fully vaccinated workers, 57,347 or 17.74% have received booster shots.
“The DoT’s goal has since shifted to providing fully vaccinated workers with booster shots, which will not only give them extra protection against the virus, but will also add to the confidence of local and foreign tourists as they make their way to the country’s many breathtaking destinations,” Ms. Puyat said.
“Fully vaccinated tourists are required to present proof of vaccination as approved by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases or the World Health Organization, as well a negative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test result taken within 48 hours prior to departing the country of origin,” the DoT said.
Fully vaccinated Filipinos have been granted quarantine-free entry since Feb. 1. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave
