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Cebu mulls Lent tour packages to revitalize tourism
Family, nature trips top 2021 Pinoy travel preferences
CLOSE TO NATURE. A camp site in Tanay, Rizal.
According to Airbnb’s Philippines Travel Trends Survey 2021, road trips are expected to gain traction as the top choice for Filipinos’ first trip post-pandemic, as respondents indicated that they wanted to travel close to nature and to places outside their communities well within driving distance. (Contributed photo) MaNila – Family vacations are likely to top Filipino priorities in terms of travel this year, outranking business trips and shopping as the previous main motivation for travel, a study showed. According to Airbnb’s Philippines Travel Trends Survey 2021 with data analytics firm YouGov, at least six out of 10 Filipino chose family vacations as the primary reason to travel this year. Enjoying free time to unwind and relax, and visiting close relatives and friends are also key motivators to get Filipinos back on the road. The Airbnb-commissioned survey gathered responses from 1,067 Filipinos between February 4 and 8. It showed that travel with immediate and extended family is one reason for domestic travel among Filipinos, with 88 percent of the respondents saying they felt more connected with their families during the pandemic. Notably, health and safety protocols (64 percent) and afforda-
bility (61 percent) are top considerations when choosing travel accommodation. More than half of all respondents (53 percent) also prefer traveling to less crowded, off-the-beaten-path destinations, away from mass tourist hotspots. Road trips are expected to gain traction as the top choice for Filipinos’ first trip post-pandemic, as respondents indicated that they wanted to travel close to nature and places outside their communities well within driving distance. Beachside destinations topped Filipinos’ bucket lists in 2021, with Boracay emerging as respondents’ top go-to destination, followed closely by Palawan, Baguio, Siargao, and Tagaytay. “People are more likely to start traveling near to their places and so local and domestic tourism is going to be something that takes center stage before borders open up and cross-border travel resumes," said Amanpreet Bajaj, Airbnb's general manager for
Southeast Asia, India, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. "Travellers are also looking at slower, more mindful travel amidst nature. We believe that travel is resilient and will bounce back with time, and we anticipate that unique and family-friendly travel will serve as the impetus for domestic tourism recovery.” Airbnb said it would support government efforts to revive local tourism as it pledged to drive sustainable long-term growth for its "Stays and Experiences" to help local Airbnb hosts and guests community. Citing research from Oxford Economics, it said it contributed to about USD1 billion in economic impact and supported more than 160,000 jobs in the Philippines in 2019 alone. Airbnb said it intends to work closely with key policymakers and industry stakeholders on a sustainable way forward for its listings to be accredited, in line with the government’s regulations for leisure travel. (PNA)
CEBu CiTY – The provincial government of Cebu is set to launch Holy Week tour packages as one of its steps to revive the tourism industry, the Capitol announced on Wednesday. Governor Gwendolyn Garcia said the tour packages are now being planned and will be launched before the Holy Week on March 28-April 3. Garcia noted that the provincial government has partnered with “private tour operators and other tourism industry players” for this initiative. “Even the airlines are joining in,” she said. Garcia recently met with officials from flag carrier Philippine Airlines and the Department of Tourism (DOT) in Central Visayas to map out plans for the Holy Week tour offerings. This plan came after the provincial government further eased entry requirements for tourists visiting the Cebu island. Based on the latest executive order that Garcia issued, only a valid medical certificate and proof of pre-booking at a resort or hotel within the province are required from tourists entering Cebu. The medical certificate should be issued by a reputable doctor and within seven days prior to the travel date. The resort or hotel establishment should also be duly accredited by the DOT and the Cebu Provincial Tourism Task Force. Visitors must also pass the symptoms checking or screening at the point of departure and arrival. Cebu is the first province in the country to take decisive steps to reinvigorate tourism activities since August 2020. Garcia had also issued a series of executive orders requiring mandatory health guidelines for tourism activities such as canyoneering, whale-shark watching, trekking, swimming, and diving, among others to prevent further spread of Covid-19 while reviving the industry. (PNA)
HOLY WEEK TOUR. Photo shows the Saints Paul and Peter
Parish in the municipality of Bantayan in Cebu’s northernmost island. The town is a well-known tourist destination especially during holy Week due to its various lenten season activities. (Photo by Carlo lorenciana)
PH... frOM PagE 1 ceived today will be followed by up to 4.5 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccines scheduled to arrive before the end of May in batches in addition to other vaccine stated to be delivered to the Philippines through the COVAX Facility," Abeyasinghe said in his speech. The vaccine supply from COVAX is expected to cover at least 20 percent of the country’s population, with medical front-liners, the elderly, and those suffering from co-morbidities as priorities. "Standing together in solidarity has indeed made us stronger," he said. "We honor the government of the Philippines for the strong leadership provided under the leadership of President Rodrigo Duterte throughout the response and the dedicated team of the Department of Health."
Abeyasinghe said WHO's work with the Philippine government also includes supporting the DOH in strategic planning, demand generation, and establishing a "robust information system" for vaccine tracking and user monitoring. "The WHO, UNICEF, and other UN organizations and our partners in the Philippines and our donors look forward to supporting the Covid-19 vaccination campaign throughout the country," he added. Duterte said the latest delivery would boost the national vaccination program. "The need for international solidarity and cooperation cannot be made clearer than this pandemic because no one is safe globally until everyone is safe," he said. He enjoined all government agencies to actively in-
stitutionalize and sustain the whole-of-government approach, while asking the public to cooperate and get vaccinated. "Be the government's partner in preventing further spread of the disease. I encourage you to get vaccinated at the soonest possible time. These vaccines are safe and they are the key to reopening our society, " he said. Meanwhile, he commended vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez, the Inter Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, and the DOH for their efforts throughout the government's pandemic response. He also expressed the country's gratitude to all COVAX donor countries and reiterated his earlier position that these shots "should be treated as a global public good."
"I don’t know how to express my gratitude to the donor countries that you remembered the poor nations [it] is in fact already a plus for humanity. And in behalf of the Republic of the Philippines and of the people, and all, I’d like to say again that we felt the gratitude in our hearts and may God bless you for your benevolence," he said. The vaccines were transported to Metropac in Marikina for storage, with distribution expected to start immediately after repackaging. In a statement, the EU Delegation in Manila said the bloc, as one of the contributors in the COVAX Facility, has so far provided PHP130 billion to help 92 low and middle-income countries, including the Philippines. “Team Europe is proud to
contribute to the COVAX facility to help provide affordable and fair access to vaccines for Filipinos. Under COVAX, the Philippines will receive vaccines for 22 million Filipinos," said EU Ambassador to the Philippines Luc Véron. Véron along with other members of the diplomatic corps in the Philippines witnessed the vaccines delivery at the Villamor Air Base. A mon g t ho s e pr e s e nt are Italian A mb. Giorgio Guglielmino, British Amb. Daniel Pruce, Norway Amb. Bjorn Jahnsen, Spanish Amb. Jorge Sanchez, the Netherlands Amb. Saskia DeLang, German Amb. Anke Reiffenstuel, India Amb. Shambhu Kumaran, South Korean Amb. Kim InChul, French Amb. Michéle Boccoz, and Australian Amb. Steven Robinson. (MNS)
