MANILA, PHILIPPINES — AirAsia Philippines maintains its bullish performance for the summer season with 38 percent increase in forward bookings for the next three months. The world’s best low cost airline also observed an 18 percent rise in 15 to 30 days booking especially for top summer destinations.
Boracay, long regarded as one of the best beaches of the Philippines, dominates the list of top guest destinations with a 24 percent increase – almost doubling last week’s 15 percent. Cebu, Tagbilaran (Panglao), Kalibo and Tacloban also made the top 5 most-booked destinations.
AirAsia is keen on further propelling the buoyancy of the local travel market with the opening of new domestic routes. Launching this April is the route to Dumaguete, known as a top favorite amongst travelers from East Asia and Europe because of its ancestral houses and popular baywalk. Flyers to the country’s seafood capital Roxas will also enjoy AirAsia flights starting April.
Globetrotters are also in for a treat as AirAsia Philippines is restarting its flights to more neighboring countries in Asia, starting off with Bali, Indonesia and Bangkok, Thailand in March and Incheon, South Korea in April.
AirAsia Philippines Spokesperson Steve Dailisan said, “Travel is set to rebound this year and we are in full throttle to maintain the momentum. We are opening local and international routes to cater to the rising demand for travel as more countries relax border protocols. AirAsia Philippines will continue to champion inclusive and safe travelling as we work together with national and local agencies on tourism recovery in the post-pandemic era.”
Recently, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) issued an updated guideline for arriving fully vaccinated foreign tourists and returning Filipinos. Starting 10 February, international travelers from 157 countries who have a visa-free agreement with the Philippines now only have to present their valid vaccination cards and a negative RT-PCR test result. Facility-based quarantine was also scrapped making travel to the Philippines convenient for fully-jabbed guests.
Fully vaccinated foreign travelers entering AirAsia destinations will only be required to present their World Health Organization (WHO) International Certificate of Vaccination or other valid vaccine cards. Unvaccinated and partially vaccinated guests will also be allowed entry provided that they submit a negative RT-PCR test result taken within 72 hours before their travel date. For a full list of requirements for foreign nationals on the various Philippine destinations, check the airasia flysafe page.
“Our government’s simplified travel requirements and protocols have greatly influenced inbound travel and domestic tourism. As one of the country’s most trusted air carriers, we are very glad with this progress. The adaptive approach applied in our pandemic response is exactly what our country needs to move forward,” Dailisan adds.
According to the Department of Tourism (DOT), there are 7.55 million tourism workers in the Philippines. Before the pandemic, the tourism sector was contributing P2.51 trillion or nearly 13% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The number however dropped to P973.31 billion at the height of the global pandemic in 2020. The fast recovery of Philippine tourism is seen by many to buttress not only the recuperation of commerce within the industry, but also the country’s economy in general.
