REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM
Kagawaran ng Turismo
PST: 8:36:19
PST: 8:36:19
Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat hailed on Friday the reactivation of the Tourist Police units, saying it would hasten the tourism industry’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The tourism industry will recover well from three months of quarantine and restore the jobs lost by millions of Filipinos dependent on the industry.
The Department of Tourism (DOT) celebrates the inclusion of Hidden Beach in El Nido, Palawan in Condé Nast Traveller's (CNT) "The 30 Best Beaches in the World" feature. The list was made in light of the pandemic, stating that "…while the world waits to find out when we can travel again, now is the time to think about a future summer holiday visiting one of the world's best beaches."
The tourism industry increased its contribution to the country's economy to almost 13 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) last year, according to government statistics.
In line with the Department of Tourism's (DOT) priority effort to roll out its new health and safety standards as well as the Inter-Agency Task Force on the management of Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF-EID) restrictions among tourism stakeholders nationwide, the Local Government Unit (LGU) of San Juan, La Union recently conducted spot inspections among tourism stakeholders in its popular beach and surfing area and clamped down on enterprises that have violated national and local government issuances during the period of quarantine.
The Boracay Interagency Task Force (BIATF) decries the entry of a group of travelers to Boracay last June 12 that stayed up to June 14 when the island was not officially open for tourism.
The Department of Tourism (DOT) welcomes the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases' (IATF-EID) approval of the Department of Trade and Industry's (DTI) recommendation to allow the partial dine-in operations of restaurants in localities under General Community Quarantine (GCQ).
"The partnership of the public and private sector to ensure the safety and sustainability of tourism should be a model for other island destinations in the country," Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said during the Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force BIATF meeting in Boracay on June 11, 2020.
While travel restrictions are still in place, for both domestic and foreign travel, the Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT) has been maintaining its presence online with its most recent digital campaign, “Wake Up in the Philippines” and its microsite philippines.travel/safeph for relevant updates on tourism-related sectors in the Philippines.
The Department of Tourism (DOT) has issued the New Normal Health and Safety Guidelines for Tourist Land Transport Services covering transport operators/owners, passengers, vehicles, and drivers.
The Inter–Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF–EID) further stressed the importance of the Department of Tourism (DOT) Certificate of Authority to operate for accommodation establishments (AEs) going back to business during the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ), Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ), and General Community Quarantine (GCQ) periods.
The Department of Tourism (DOT) has released Memorandum Circular No 2020-004 or the "New Normal Health and Safety Guidelines for DOT–Accredited Restaurants" that will cover the areas of Management; Configuration and Set–up; Employees; Customers; Service and other Procedure; Delivery; and Sanitation, Disinfection, Safety Measure, and others.
The Department of Tourism welcomes the latest tourism–related distinction received by the country, having been recently named as one of the "Rising Stars in Travel" by Forbes.com, the website of the respected American business and financial news publication.
The joint recommendations of the Department of Tourism (DOT) and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) on health and safety protocols for restaurant dine–in operations were approved by the Inter–Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF–EID).
With the hampered travel movement brought about by the COVID–19 pandemic situation, work and play are inevitably done online. The evolving crisis and in anticipation of other challenges, the Department of Tourism (DOT) and its attached agencies are making sure that Philippine tourism remains competitive, adapts well and takes advantage of the digital revolution.
Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Bernadette Romulo–Puyat reminds tourism stakeholders, particularly hotel and resort entrepreneurs to secure a DOT Certificate of Authority to Operate before going back to business under the Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ).
The Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT) maintained its commitment to the Filipino Brand of Service and Hospitality, as exhibited by the agency's successful initiatives to assist a total of 36,947 stranded foreign and domestic tourists, since land, air, and sea travel restrictions were placed by the government as a precautionary measure to stop the spread of the disease.
We must make the transition to digital and online for our industry to survive.
The DOT welcomes the gradual re-opening of tourism operations in light of the varied community quarantine levels across the country, hoping to pave the eventual recovery of the Philippines' tourism industry.
The Department of Tourism (DOT) remains optimistic that the Philippines will regain the tourists' trust in the country as a safe and viable tourism destination sooner, and hasten recovery of the country's tourism industry.
The Department of Tourism (DOT) welcomes the encouraging developments towards reopening of tourist destinations and ensured that the tourism sector is ready to provide service under the post-lockdown "New Normal" scenario.
At least 84 domestic tourists stranded in Eastern Visayas since last March finally returned home with the assistance of the Department of Tourism (DOT) in joint efforts with other agencies and local government units (LGUs).
The Department of Tourism (DOT) has released the Health and Safety Guidelines Governing the Operations of Accommodation Establishments under the New Normal, indicating quite a number of significant changes in the country's frontline tourist services.
Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat expressed confidence that an imaginative Filipino gastronomy will remain a strong pillar of the country’s tourism industry under the new normal.
How will the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic crisis impact and reshape tourism, sustainability and conservation programs at the country' heritage sites under the new normal?
The Department of Tourism (DOT) commits to sustain the Filipino brand of hospitality and service to stranded tourists amid the government-enforced community quarantine brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.
With Metro Manila now placed under modified enhanced community quarantine and the majority of the other places in the country under general community quarantine or GCQ, the DOT, together with the Inter–Agency Taskforce on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF–EID) and several local government units (LGU), are preparing for the revival and re–opening of tourism in the Philippines once our places are classified under the modified GCQ (MGCQ).
The tourism industry will recover.
The Department of Tourism (DOT) in an advisory directed hotel operators and their ancillary establishments to submit detailed documentation on their safety protocols for their food preparation services.
Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Bernadette Romulo–Puyat said the tourism industry is ready to face the reality and daunting challenges of the "new normal," referring to new standards and protocols for safe and responsible tourism that will direct its path to recovery.
A total of 155,672 employees from 4,290 tourism–related enterprises received their cash grants under the joint program of the Department of Finance (DOF), Social Security System (SSS), and Bureau of Internal Revenue, called the Small Business Wage Subsidy (SBSW) program as of May 4.
MANILA – Over 1,000 domestic tourists who were stranded in various tourist destinations in the country have returned home, mostly in Metro Manila, with the assistance of the Department of Tourism (DOT).
MANILA, Philippines – Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat reaffirmed the country's commitment to the regional tourism cooperation of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on the road to recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
MANILA, April 29 – Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Bernadette Romulo–Puyat gladly noted the breath of optimism shared by industry leaders during the April 28 livestream webinar on Global MICE Situationer in the Time of the Pandemic.
The Department of Tourism (DOT) welcomes the approval by the Inter–Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF–EID) of its request to undertake necessary measures to charter and fund sweeper flights for qualified stranded local tourists from other regions to the National Capital Region.
On behalf of the officials and employees of the Department of Tourism (DOT), I would like to extend our sincerest condolences to the bereaved loved ones of former Tourism Secretary Ramon "Mon" Jimenez, Jr. who recently passed away.
The Department of Tourism (DOT), in partnership with leading retail group Stores Specialists Inc. (SSI), announces the online leg of the Philippine Harvest trade fair starting April 22, 2020. The Philippine Harvest online leg will help promote local food products from MSMEs and small farmers, and make them more accessible to Filipino consumers despite the circumstances brought about by COVID–19.
NAIA, Pasay City – More than 30 days into the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) of Luzon, the Department of Tourism–National Capital Region (DOT–NCR) has served a total of 24,336 nationals directly and indirectly.
The Department of Tourism (DOT) has launched an online training program for the country's tourism stakeholders to stay relevant, learn to cope with the difficulties arising from the global pandemic novel coronavirus or COVID–19, and to facilitate transition to recovery.
Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo–Puyat assures the public that the Department of Tourism (DOT) is doing everything within its mandate to aid the stakeholders of the country's tourism industry in light of the COVID–19 pandemic.
Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Bernadette Romulo–Puyat confirmed that as of 07 April, 2020, the DOT has secured a total of 11,549 hotel rooms for the accommodation of homebound overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who are required to undergo the 14–day quarantine upon their arrival to the country.
The Department of Tourism (DOT) said at least 12 domestic tourists have returned home after staying in the Batanes islands for almost two weeks due to the travel restrictions prompted by the March 17 imposition of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in connection with the coronavirus or COVID–19 crisis.
The Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT) is encouraging the public to "travel from home" by providing virtual backgrounds that people can feature in video conferencing platforms such as Zoom, Webex, and many more.
The Department of Tourism (DOT) Regional Office 6 (DOT-RO 6) has assisted 1,284 tourists who remained in Boracay island and other Western Visayas areas due to travel restrictions following President Duterte's March 12 announcement of the nationwide state of public health emergency.
The Department of Tourism (DOT) assisted 61 foreign visitors stranded in Western Mindanao and facilitated their return to their home countries last March 27 in the wake of travel cancellations and travel restrictions imposed by the government amid the national state of health emergency.
The Department of Tourism (DOT) Region V assisted as of March 27 a total of 246 tourists stranded in the region on their return to their home countries since the imposition of travel restrictions.
The Department of Tourism (DOT) Region 13 has assisted 1,044 foreign tourists stranded in the Caraga region in the wake of travel restrictions and flight cancellations triggered by the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) amid the COVID-19 epidemic crisis.
Given the recently unfortunate news that the AFP Chief of Staff has tested positive for COVID-19, I will be undergoing self-quarantine as I was exposed to him in a meeting last March 20.
TACLOBAN CITY—Cebu Pacific sweeper flight airlifted at least (57) international tourists stranded due to flight cancellations in connection with the national state of health emergency measures.
The Department of Tourism (DOT) has arranged additional sweeper flights to facilitate the return of stranded tourists to their home countries within the next few days.
MANILA - At least 10,300 individuals, mostly foreign travelers affected by the enhanced community quarantine, have been assisted as of Tuesday, March 24, 2020 by the Department of Tourism (DOT), Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat disclosed.
The Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) on Operations of Accommodation Establishments During the Enhanced Community Quarantine issued on 18 March 2020 states that no hotels, resorts, tourist inns, motels, and the like are allowed to operate, except those with the following:
The Department of Tourism (DOT) welcomed the decision of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) to lift the 72-hour window for individuals departing overseas.
Both international and domestic tourists, whose flights were affected by the community quarantine impositions across the country, are being assisted by the Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT), local government unit (LGU) officers, local airport staff and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) in terms of recovery flights, transportation, meals and accommodation.
The Department of Tourism (DOT) is aware of a resolution calling for the implementation of a curfew in Metro Manila.
In light of recently reported community transmissions of COViD-19, the Department of Tourism (DOT) calls on all tourism industry stakeholders to remain calm, to be constantly updated and to report suspected cases to local health authorities.
The Department of Tourism (DOT) and Turkish Airlines signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that aims to reinforce and affirm the country's position in the European, Mediterranean and other international markets being serviced by Turkish Airlines.
The Department of Tourism (DOT) hailed the successful opening day of the Flying Carnival 2020 on Friday, March 6, 2020.
Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat today assured the country of the tourism industry's fortitude and resiliency through the global health crisis brought by the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in 60 countries, including the Philippines.
MANILA – The Philippines' all-time high 8.2 million international tourist arrivals in 2019, contributed USD 9.31 billion or PHP 482.15 billion in visitor receipts, 20.81 percent higher than the 2018 figure of USD 7.71 billion, the Department of Tourism (DOT) disclosed.
Given the alarming rise in corona virus disease (COVID-19) infections all over the world during the past few days, the Department of Tourism (DOT) has postponed the nationwide mall sale portion of the 2020 Philippine Shopping Festival until further notice.
Makati City – Culture buffs around the globe can now learn the ABCs of the Philippine culture as the Department of Tourism (DOT) unveils its newest ad at the Culture Launch on Thursday, February 27, held at the Shooting Gallery Studio in Makati City.
MANILA, PHILIPPINES – The Department of Tourism (DOT) and partner malls and associations announced on Wednesday it’s all systems go for "The 2020 Philippine Shopping Festival".
The Department of Health (DOH), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and Department of Tourism (DOT) announced, in a joint statement, that it is safe to organize and attend public gatherings, meetings and festivals as long as all precautionary measures identified by the DOH are observed.
MANILA, PHILIPPINES – The year 2019 is deemed celebratory for Philippine tourism as international visitors numbering 8.26 million, exceeded the 8.2 million annual target set in the National Tourism Development Plan (NTDP) for 2016-2022.
MANILA, PHILIPPINES – The Department of Tourism (DOT) welcomes the lifting of the travel ban on Taiwan to minimize the impact of the nCov global scare on the local tourism industry.
The Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Tourism Congress of the Philippines (TCP), which represents the country's tourism stakeholders, assure the public, especially our foreign and domestic tourists, that the Philippines remains a safe destination for travel.
February 3, 2020 – Tourists and culture buffs can now immerse themselves in the past of Intramuros via their mobile phones. Experience Philippines, an augmented reality application available on iOs and Android, houses a treasure chest of visuals and information about the famed walled city of Manila. This innovative tourism application is a joint project of the Department of Tourism (DOT) and iACADEMY, a school in Makati that offers specialized courses on computing, business, and design. To download the free app, simply key in "Experience Philippines" on Google Play or the App Store.
The Department of Tourism (DOT) has immediately advised its foreign offices in China to relay to all stakeholders involved in bringing markets to the Philippines on the latest directive by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte to temporarily ban "the entry of any person, regardless of nationality, except Filipino citizens and holders of Permanent Resident Visa issued by the Philippine Government, directly coming from China and its Special Administrative Regions," Hong Kong and Macau, in order to contain the spread of the novel corona virus (NCov).
The Department of Tourism (DOT) enjoins tourism enterprises such as accommodation establishments to take immediate protective measures to avoid, correct or remove imminent danger in areas where tourists are evidently at risk of infection.
In light of the first confirmed case of novel coronavirus (nCoV) in the Philippines, the Department of Tourism (DOT) urges the public, locals and foreign tourists alike, to take the necessary precautions to minimize the risk of contracting the virus.
ILAGAN CITY, ISABELA – Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said Isabela deserves to be regarded as one of the country’s premiere provinces for its very promising agriculture industry and richly-diverse natural attractions that make for a potential agro-ecotourism haven.
Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Bernadette Fatima Romulo-Puyat is Guest of Honor and speaker during the Bambanti Festival on January 27-31, 2020 in Ilagan City, Isabela. Secretary Puyat will be speaking at the Festival and Street Dancing showdown on January 30 to be held at the Isabela Sports Complex.
ILOILO CITY–Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat assured the agency's continued support to Iloilo's tourism business by earmarking a total of PHP340.7 million for the province's tourism infrastructure requirements via the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), its infrastructure arm.
MANILA–International visitor arrivals in the country continued to increase sharply last November, a momentum that indicated another record-high finish for the tourism industry by the end of 2019, according to the latest data released by the Department of Tourism (DOT).
Makati City–Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo–Puyat emphasized today, January 24, that the safety and security of tourists remains the top priority of the Department of Tourism (DOT).
The Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), in which the Department of Tourism sits as vice-chair, held its regular board meeting on January 20 to thresh out issues and discuss the implementation of rules, which airlines must abide by during emergencies and similar situations.
The Department of Tourism (DOT) strongly advises all tourism enterprises operating in all affected areas of the Taal Volcano disaster to immediately cease operations in light of DOST–Phivolcs' Alert Level 4 warning.
The Department of Tourism (DOT) joins the nation in hopes and prayers that Taal's volcanic activity would soon dissipate, as millions of lives and livelihood are imperiled by the continued eruption.
The Department of Tourism (DOT) extends its appreciation to Smart Communications for offering satellite (SAT) phones to regional tourism offices for use in times of emergencies.
CLARK, PAMPANGA – Philippine tourism and transportation officials on Tuesday convened to strengthen the tourism infrastructure convergence program to ensure that the country's tourism industry is off to another productive year with enhanced tourism infrastructure and increased connectivity.
Manila – Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo–Puyat confirmed that the triumvirate of the Department of Tourism (DOT), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) are slated to visit the City of Pines on Friday January 10.
The Philippines' tourism industry has generated some 245 billion pesos in receipts from international visitors during the first six months of the year 2019, according to the Department of Tourism (DOT).
The corresponding total receipts from the six—month arrivals increased by 17.57% from the half—year gross revenues in 2018.
Data provided by the DOT Statistics, Economic Analysis and Information Management Division (SEAMID) show the highest monthly receipts of 48 billion pesos in the month of February.
For June 2019, spending reached an estimated 38 billion pesos, which is 30.56% higher than the same month last year, while tourist per capita expenditure increased to $1,086.61 or 30.97% higher than June 2018.
So far, the DOT is keeping up with its target to attract high spending and longer staying tourists in the Philippines. As proof that our guests truly find it more fun in the Philippines, average daily expenditure and average length of stay per tourist reached $120.60 and 9.01 nights, respectively, which is 28.64% and 1.81% higher than the same month last year. This is based on the data from visitor sample survey.
"These economic numbers are exciting but the real purpose of why the government is working hard to push these numbers up year after year is for the Filipino people. Tourism in 2018 was responsible for 5.4 million jobs in 2018, contributing 12.7 percent or P2.2 trillion to the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). At the end of the day, it is the number of lives changed for the better by tourism that would truly count," remarked Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo—Puyat.
Earlier, the DOT disclosed that 4.1 million foreigners have visited the country from January to June this year, indicating an 11.43% increase from 2018.
