PH welcomes 11K foreigners since borders reopened
The Philippines saw a total of nearly 10,676 foreign tourists since it reopened its borders to international travelers last February 10, according to the Department of Transportation.
During the Laging Handa briefing, DOTr-Office for Transportation Security Administrator Raul del Rosario said that foreign arrivals in the country increased by 10% from opening day until February 15.
The DOTr official stated that they are expecting more tourists to come as the summer season approaches.
Last month, the IATF-EID (Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases) approved the reopening of the country’s airports and seaports for foreign travelers from visa-free countries.
Under the new guidelines, the tourists will only be required to present proof of vaccination and a negative RT-PCR test taken within 48 hours before their flight.
Del Rosario noted that out of all the arriving foreign nationals, 91% of them are fully-vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus.
The DOTr official added airlines are planning to boost flight capacity in March in preparation for the summer peak season.
