Local airlines expect a surge in domestic travel following the government’s easing of travel restrictions for fully vaccinated passengers.
Cebu Pacific (CEB) yesterday said in a statement 19 domestic destinations in its network are open for leisure travelers: Bohol, Boracay, Butuan, Camiguin, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu (Cebu City and Mandaue City), Clark, Maguindanao province, Davao, Dumaguete, General Santos, Iloilo, Legazpi, Manila, Naga, Ozamiz, San Jose, Tacloban and Tuguegarao.
Fully-vaccinated individuals need not present a negative swab test prior to travelling but may need to have a vaccination certificate, vaccination card, government-issued ID, travel permits from S-Pass, confirmed accommodations, and registration to specific contact tracing applications.
“This will jumpstart the return of tourists and pave the way for the recovery of the local tourism industry, which we are also ready to support with a ramp-up in flight frequencies as needed,” said Xander Lao, CEB chief commercial officer.
With the change in alert levels, the “No Vax, No Ride” policy is now also lifted, further stimulating mobility with caution and standard safety protocols still in place.
AirAsia Philippines forecasts a surge in domestic tourism with the easing of alert levels especially in the peak summer season.
Summer destinations have started to accept guests as early as this month.
AirAsia Philippines revealed that bookings for forward travel 31 to 90 days in advance have increased by 25 percent while immediate travel from 0 to 30 days has risen by 17 percent.
Tacloban and Cebu are the top destinations of choice for February travel while Caticlan (Boracay) dominates the March and April bookings.
“The downward trend in COVID-19 cases is very encouraging. We are optimistic that this, along with the strategic easing of safety protocols across regions, will reinforce the confidence of local tourists to re-explore and reconnect with our own culture, heritage and top destinations,” said Steve Dailisan, AirAsia Philippines spokesperson.
Some LGUs in the provinces have relaxed their travel protocols following the announcement of Metro Manila’s downgrade to Alert Level 2.
The provincial government of Aklan, for instance, has amended its executive order and immediately scrapped the negative RT-PCR requirement for fully vaccinated tourists.
The provincial government of Negros Occidental has decided to require an antigen test instead.
