Actively Seeking Recovery After Lifting of Restrictions – Boracay and Palawan in the Philippines Extend a Warm Welcome!

▲ The blue seas and skies of the Philippines have long been a favored holiday destination for Taiwanese. (Photo provided by the Philippine Department of Tourism, Taiwan Office)

Reporter Chen Zi-Yin / Special Report

After three months of a red travel alert for trips to the Philippines from Taiwan, the Taiwanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on August 8 that the travel alert had been normalized following an in-person apology by MECO (Manila Economic and Cultural Office) Chairman Amadeo Perez. In response, the Philippine Department of Tourism has also taken proactive steps to help restore Taiwanese travelers' confidence in visiting the Philippines.

Amadea Tseng, Manager of the Philippine Department of Tourism, Taiwan Officeexplained that over the past three months, issues such as canceled charter flights originally scheduled by airlines and group tour cancellations and refunds by travel agencies have resulted in estimated losses of tens of billions of New Taiwan Dollars. The travel industry itself suffered losses of up to two hundred million New Taiwan Dollars, with some agencies even facing closure, bankruptcy, or layoffs.Tseng said, “This time, in order to revive Philippine tourism, while our previous marketing efforts focused mainly on products, this time we are placing greater emphasis on building the overall image. We have also been in close contact with airlines and industry partners to discuss future collaborative plans for Philippine tourism.”


▲ Boracay remains one of the most popular destinations. (Photo provided by the Philippine Department of Tourism, Taiwan Office)

In response to the lifting of restrictions, the Philippine Department of Tourism has also launched a campaign titled“Find Your ‘Phil’-ippine Best Friend”,where travelers who visit the Philippines with six friends or family members between August 28 and December 31 of this year can enter a lucky draw with a chance to winone millionNew Taiwan Dollars in travel vouchers..For the upcoming 2013 Taipei Summer Travel Fair on August 23, the Philippine Department of Tourism is also actively participating. In addition to expanding their booth space, they are also offering free booth space for travel agencies to sell Philippine travel packages..

Tseng also noted that during the same period last year, there were 200,000 Taiwanese visitors to the Philippines. Despite the recent setbacks, they remain optimistic about recovering to 70% of that figure by the end of the year. However, due to the time needed for airlines to resume direct flights from various locations, normal flight operations may not resume until the second week of October. Until then, travelers will still need to transfer in Manila.

With the summer vacation season coming to an end, the majority of future outbound travelers are expected to be working professionals on holiday. The Philippine Department of Tourism recommends visiting leisure-focused destinations such as Boracay, Palawan, and Coron Island.

 
▲ The main island of Palawan also boasts tranquil scenery, with the 103 Underground River Park shown in the left image. (Photo provided by the Philippine Department of Tourism, Taiwan Office)

 
▲ Coron Island is part of the Calamian Islands and features a different beachscape. (Photo provided by the Philippine Department of Tourism, Taiwan Office)